


Who Are You Really?

by TAGcatchmenow



Series: Tony Holmes? Sherlock Stark? [1]
Category: Sherlock Holmes (Downey films), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Avengers watch Sherlock Holmes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Getting Together, Hurt Tony Stark, Jealous Steve Rogers, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, POV Changes, Post-Avengers (2012), Tony Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2018-10-25 21:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 41,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10772499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TAGcatchmenow/pseuds/TAGcatchmenow
Summary: What happens when the secret that Tony has been carrying his whole life is outed by Loki? Will the team be able to accept that the man in front of them is not who he seems to be and what will they do with this new information?(Avengers watch Sherlock Holmes 2009)





	1. Damn You Loki

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a big fan of the Sherlock films and have looked for pics that have the Avengers reacting to finding out Tony was Holmes but have only found crossovers. So I decided to write my own because why not right?  
> Not sure if this is going to be interesting to anyone but I'm going to have fun rewatching the movies in order to write this so I count it as a win ;)
> 
> Unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or Sherlock Holmes and all rights go to their respective parties.

Tony was going to punch Loki in his smug little face when he next saw him. He had no right to do this to Tony! His secret hadn't hurt anybody, hadn't hindered the team when fighting villains.

Yet here he was standing in the middle of the communal floor with the other five Avengers in a loose semi-circle around him looking surprised.

Maybe he could fire a repulsor blast in Loki’s face, Tony thought sullenly as he resigned himself to the fact that it was time to let the demons out of the closet.

ONE HOUR EARLIER

Tony woke with a snort, finding himself in his bedroom even though he distinctly remembered passing out on the couch in his lab.

“JARVIS my old friend, did I somehow sleep walk to my room or perhaps invent technology that can teleport people in their sleep?”

“No Sir, Captain Rogers came by to the lab after you had passed out to bring you some food. When he saw that you had fallen asleep he decided that it would be better if you slept in your bed. He carried you to your bedroom and proceeded to tuck you in. I have the security footage if you would like to see for yourself.”

Cheeks blushing in slight mortification at being put to bed like a child by his crush, he mumbled out a no whilst shuffling to the bathroom. He would have honestly thought that after a year of living with the man that he would have been able to shake off the attraction that he felt towards the super soldier. Instead the attraction had grown into something more, something which Tony didn’t want to put a name too because he knew that his feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated.

Finishing in the bathroom he quickly made sure that he was decent enough to make an appearance to the team, even though over the year they had pretty much seen every part of each other. Tony needed more than two hands to the count the times that he had seen the Hulk naked, it was lucky he was a billionaire so that he could pay for the therapy.

Tony exited his bedroom and made his way to the elevator that would take him to the communal floor, JARVIS already having the door open without Tony’s prompting. He was just going to go down, show everyone that he was alive and steal some coffee. He wasn't in the mood for socialising today and just wanted to be left alone for a couple of hours with some heavy metal pounding down his ears.

Upon exiting the elevator he was greeted to the sight of Steve cooking pancakes in an apron that read Sarcasm Is the Ability to Insult Idiots Without Them Realising It. It was things like this that made it increasingly difficult for Tony to hide his feelings. All he wanted to do after seeing that apron was walk up to Steve and kiss him on those perfect lips before proclaiming that he was the only one that understood Tony. Instead he purposely walked into the kitchen determinedly trying to ignore Steve as he went past, going straight for the coffee maker which seemed to already have a cup waiting for him. He decided to chalk it up to JARVIS being one step ahead of him.

As he turned around with the cup in his hands, purposely ignoring Steve’s sad eyes at Tony’s lack of response to the apron, he noticed that the other Avengers were sitting around the dining table, failing to contain their laughter at Steve.

Clint handed over ten dollars to Natasha, whilst Natasha wore a smug look on her face that screamed I told you so.

“So, Tony I was planning on doing some team exercises today and we’re going to need you to wear the suit to practice some air drills,” Steve said erasing the hurt look on his face with one of determination.

“No can do Cap, got some projects that I need to finish up for Pepper so that I can continue to support Thor’s pop tart addiction. I’ll have JARVIS pilot the suit so that you can still do your exercises.”

“That’s not going to fly Tony since JARVIS won’t be flying the suit in a battle. I’m sure that you can spare an hour of your time just for us.”

“Actually, JARVIS does a lot in a battle, I’d wager that he does more than I do. Wouldn't you agree buddy?”

“Indeed Sir,” came JARVIS’ amused reply, “I don't understand why you seem to get all the credit.”

“See,” Tony said waving his hand in the air, “JARVIS said it himself, it’s a wonder why he hasn't been made an official Avenger yet with all the work that he does.”

“If you two would just stop your weird flirting as it's way too early for this. Tony, if we have to suffer through a team exercise than so are you or you're going to spend an hour with me sparring.”

At Natasha’s words Tony’s mouth snapped shut with an audible snap, a blush rising on his face as he watched Steve duck his head away shyly at the comment. The team knew about Tony’s feelings about Steve, he’d had to endure endless teasing from Clint about the playboy being unable to muster up the courage to ask Steve out. The only one who seemed to be unable to figure it out was the buff blond himself and Tony suspected that it was because he was from the 1940’s and therefore the idea of Tony liking Steve had never occurred to him. Alas another reason why Tony had to keep his feelings to himself.

Knowing that she wouldn't receive any more bickering from the two men in the kitchen, Tony watched as Natasha went back to her breakfast. The last time that Tony had sparred with Nat resulted in him being unable to walk properly for three days for reasons which he would never divulge to anyone.

Deciding that he had enough of the social interaction that he had been forced into, Tony started to make his way back to the elevator. However, once he reached the doors they didn’t open.

“JARVIS,” Tony began, drawing the attention of the Avengers to himself, “would you be a dear and open the doors for me?”

His question was met with silence as JARVIS failed to reply.

“JARVIS? Alpha Tango Three Six Charlie Nine.”

When JARVIS failed to respond to the override code that would allow him to communicate with Tony if he was compromised, Tony began to panic. The only time when JARVIS had gone off line was followed shortly by Stane ripping the arc reactor out of Tony’s chest.

Turning back around to face the Avengers who were in various stages of tension from watching Tony fail to contact JARVIS, he was about to inform the team of what he knew about the situation so far, when a bright flash of green light exploded within the room. All of the occupants let out a yell that comprised of a mixture of shock and pain as the light surprised them all.

Once Tony’s eyes had stopped showing stars dancing in his vision, he looked up to survey the state that the rest of the team was in. Thor, Steve and Bruce had already shaken off the light exposure, no doubt due to their accelerated healing, whilst Clint and Natasha were only just starting to blink their eyes rapidly to rid themselves of the exposure.

“What the hell was that?” Clint exclaimed looking around the room to try and find the source of the light.

“I don’t know but I’m guessing it has something to do with that,” Bruce relied pointing to the dining room table which now held a rectangular case and a piece of paper.

Natasha was the closest and so she picked up both items, eyes quickly scanning the paper as her body tensed with each line she read.

“Come on Nat enlighten us,” Clint said trying to read the note over her shoulder.

Taking a deep breath before releasing it, Natasha began to read the words written to the rest of the Avengers.

_Dear Avengers_

_You’ve been a team for over a year now and I bet you like to think that you know everything there is too know about each other._  
_That would be where you are wrong._  
_It seems that the Man of Iron is keeping something from you that even I the God of Lies and Mischief am impressed at._  
_Since he has failed to tell you his secret over the year, I have taken it upon myself to reveal it for him._  
_With this note you will find a disc that contains the proof that the Man of Iron is who he really is._  
_I have disabled your Guardian and placed a spell on the room making it so you are unable to leave until you have watched the entire disc._

_Enjoy Avengers_  
_Loki_

All eyes turned to Tony whilst Tony’s eyes turned to Thor.

“Why the hell is Loki leaving us this joke of a letter? I thought that he was locked up on Asgard.”

Thor looked angry at the accusation Tony was not so subtly flinging about.

“I was not aware that he had escaped his cell as no being has done so before. I was not informed of any such action transpiring but as you all know I have been on Midgard for the past couple of week. I shall endeavour to contact Heimdall to find out what has been happening in my absence.”

“No one is blaming you for anything Thor, it’s just that its caught us by surprise since we thought that if he ever escaped he would attack and not leave us a cryptic message. Speaking of the message Tony do you know what he was talking about when he said that you were keeping something from us?” Steve interjected trying to get a handle on the situation.

“No clue, I mean the man is bag full of crazy and like he said he’s the God of Lies and Mischief, can we really trust what he’s saying?”

“Aye Loki is a trickster by nature but his actions are usually fuelled by a semblance of truth and I do not think that he would deviate from this.”

“Well whether or not he’s telling the truth about Tony, he was about the spell. None of the doors or windows will open. I suggest that we just watch the DVD and then work on finding Loki.”

“Fine,” Tony sighed. “What’s the DVD called anyway?”

Bruce picked up the case, his eyes widening as he saw the image on the case. He kept flicking his eyes from the case to Tony, not knowing what to say.

“Bruce?” Nat asked softly preparing herself for the possibility of a Hulk out.

Turning the case around the Avengers gasped as they saw a man who was the spitting image of Tony standing on the case with his arms behind his back. Next to the man was another who was dressed in the same style of clothing but was wearing a bowler hat and a cane over his shoulder. A range of buildings found in London is shown faintly behind the two men whilst the words Sherlock Holmes were written in the middle of the case over the two men.

“Crap” Tony said realising that he couldn't keep up the charade anymore. Silently cursing Loki, Tony took in the faces of the people who had become more than a team to him over the year and wishing that they wouldn't hate him for what was about to be revealed.

“Tony, why does that man look like you and who is Sherlock Holmes?” Steve asked, his eyes pleading with Tony to explain the situation truthfully.

“Well Cap, that man looks like me because he is me. I’m Sherlock Holmes although I haven’t gone by that name in over a hundred years.”

Tony couldn't even find the humour in the teams' expressions at that revelation.


	2. Here's My Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony explains his story to the team and waits to see how everybody will react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the response to this crazy little idea I had in my head!  
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos, it really means a lot to know that people are enjoying this :)
> 
> There won't be any movie watching in this chapter but Chapter 3 will definitley be the start of it.
> 
> Unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.

Clint was the first one to break the silence that followed Tony’s admission. Everyone else were trying to pick their jaws up from the floor so were currently unable to voice their opinion.

“Yeah and I’m fucking Hansel from Hansel and Gretel. Hell, we’re all fictional characters come to life, it's so obvious now!”

Tony let Clint continue his rant knowing that the archer needed to vent his disbelief. This wasn't the first time that he had told somebody but it was definitely going better than the previous times.

“I mean are you sure that the light didn't do more damage than shown or have you finally gone off the rails?”

“Clint,” Steve scolded, not at all impressed with Clint implying that Tony was possible crazy. Tony felt a faint pang go through his chest when Steve turned his eyes in Tony’s direction, Steve’s face showing no outward emotion.

“Oh come on Cap, you’re all thinking the same thing, the Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist can now add Madman to his resume because there is no way he is over a hundred years old.”

“It’s the truth Clint. My life is something you would call unusual. I’m not over a hundred years old for one, I was called Sherlock in the 1800’s but I was born in 1970.”

“So how is that possible? Did you time travel at some point that you never told us about?” Bruce asked his face becoming intrigued at the possibility of time travel. Before he could tell Bruce that even he, Tony Stark had yet to figure out the complexities of time travel, Clint jumped back in alarm away from Tony.

“You’re an alien, aren’t you?” Clint exclaimed his fingers twitching in nervousness at the thought that Tony wasn't possibly human.

“I’m not an alien Clint, I am a regular human being except for a few differences.” Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Tony began his story. 

“I’m born, I live and I die. The only difference is that when I die I don’t stay dead and no I’m not a zombie” he pointed out before Clint could ask. “When I die I’m reborn in a new life with a new name. The only things that remain constant is how I look, my skills and my memories of my past lives except for my first which I have no recollection off. I grow up in each new life with the knowledge of the way the world use to be and have to learn how to adjust with all the memories. Like the time that I died in 1604 and was reborn in 1758, seriously that one took me years to wrap my head around.”

Tony sneaked a peek at Steve once he had finished his explanation, allowing the team to wrap their heads around that. What he saw pleasantly surprised Tony. Steve had an expression of understanding of which Tony took to be that Steve knew what it was like to stumble through a new time period whilst having memories of a previous one. That was partially the reason why it was so easy for Tony to help the super soldier in adjusting to the 21st century as Tony had many years of experience behind him. Although helping Steve had the unfortunate side effect of Tony falling for him since they ended up spending hours watching films alone in Tony’s penthouse.

“Say that you are telling the truth then why didn't you tell us this before?” Natasha asked breaking her silence to ask the question that Tony had been dreading for fear that the team wouldn't understand his reasoning for keeping it a secret.

“Because of the way that you’re looking at me right now, the look that says that I’ve finally gone of the deep end so to speak. There wasn't any way to prove it to you and I haven't had good experiences in telling people. The last person that I told who I trusted explicitly accused me of witchcraft and let’s just say that it didn't end very well for me. As for how Loki found out well I most certainly didn’t tell him so don’t think that I did okay.”

Thor perked his head up at the mention of his brother’s name, a speculative look passing over his face as though he was wondering how Loki had found out.

“Loki is a great master at magic so it may be possible that when he was last on Midgard he was able to sense something within you. Did he or any object that he possessed touch you in anyway?”

“Well he tried to use the glow stick of destiny on me and then proceeded to throw me out of a window so I would the yay on the touching.” Tony replied.

“Then I would be in the position to say that what afflicts you is magical in origin. It may be possible to gather information in Asgard as there may be records and teachings in the Great Library.”

It wasn’t the first time that Tony had considered his condition to be a result of magic since he wasn't able to remember his first life so anything was possible. Although he had never really pursued that avenue as he had always been a man of science and up until a year ago had never seen magic exist. To have Thor who was essentially a magical being say that he could possibly find out Tony’s condition made Tony feel slightly conflicted. He wanted to know why he went through life like this and why he had never met anyone else like him but after not having answers for so long, the idea of knowing scared him. What if it turned out that he had done something to deserve this? 

Natasha was the first to give her views, she confidently walked up to him and looked him dead in the eyes for an uncomfortable few seconds. With a huff she gave a grin, apparently satisfied with whatever she found in Tony’s gaze.

“It’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard believe it or not and I don't think that even someone like you could make up a story like that. Although the next time you decide to keep something big from us, I will not hesitate to kick your ass.”

Tony broke into a smile at her words, mostly in happiness but partly in relief that the assassin wasn't going to give him an ass whopping.

“I believe you too, I mean I turn into a giant green rage monster so for me anything is possible. I would like to do some tests with you if that was okay, maybe another pair of eyes could prove useful.”

There came his science bro who was not only accepting Tony but also offering up his help but still being respectful. Tony knew Bruce wouldn't treat him like a science experiment since Bruce wouldn't ever want anyone to go through what he had so Tony felt confident in nodding his consent to Bruce’s request. Clint who was standing next to Bruce was still shaking his head in disbelief although Tony could see that he was starting to come around to the others train of thought.

Just one person left Tony thought knowing that this person’s opinion would mean the most to him. Taking the plunge, he raised his eyes towards the buff blond and almost looked away in hurt at the way Steve was looking at him. 

Steve looked at Tony as though he was a complete stranger that he didn't know how to interact with.

“Are you going to say anything Cap?” Tony slightly snarked falling back on his masks to cover the hurt that he was feeling and also, he wanted to get some form of a reaction from the super soldier.

Steve flinched at Tony’s tone, his shoulders hunching over making himself look smaller and sending a faint sense of guilt running through Tony.

“I thought that we were a team. That we trusted each other with our secrets and our lives and yet you didn’t tell us because you thought that we couldn’t handle it. Do we mean so little too you Tony?”

“Of course not! It’s not that I don't trust you guys but nobody has ever understood when I’ve told them before. Every time I told someone it resulted in me getting hurt either emotionally or physically so it just became habit to keep it to myself. After keeping a secret for hundreds of years it’s pretty hard to break that mentality. You guys are the most important people in my life and I couldn't bear to lose you all, it may have been selfish of me but it was the only way I knew to keep myself safe. I trust you all with my life and would die for you all in a heartbeat so don’t ever go thinking that I don’t care about you guys!”

Steve broke into a face splitting smile at Tony’s words, his face lightening up with unabashed happiness. With a quick reflection at his words, Tony realised that he had basically just spewed his emotions about the team out loud. He felt his cheeks heat up in mortification, fully expecting someone to make a joke about how much he cared.

“I think that I can speak for everyone hear when I say that we understand where you're coming from and that even though the circumstances weren't ideal, we’re glad that we know the truth.”

“Wait so you guys are fully on-board the whole Tony’s lived hundreds of past lives train?” Tony interjected wanting to make sure that they really understood what he was saying.

“It’s a little weird,” Clint said a goofy smile beginning to lighten up his face, “but I fully expect to hear stories from those past lives, I bet that you totally used a bow and arrow since you didn't have any fancy technology!”

“Indeed Friend Tony, these stories most be told over ale and a feast. We shall see if they rival my own!”

Tony sagged in relief, not knowing why he had ever doubted that his friends would accept for who he was. He also felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest, not quite realising until that moment how keeping a part of him secret had damaged him.

“Well let’s go get our drink on then, who wants to hear about my life as a man named Charlie Chaplin?”

Bruce held up a slightly apologetic hand in front of the three men who were on their way to the elevator.

“No can do guys, in case you’ve forgotten but we can’t leave until we watch the film.”

The mechanic winced at the reminder having forgotten all about the film.

Seeing the wince Natasha raised an eyebrow. “It can’t be that bad if you're willing to tell us about your past lives.”

“Seeing and hearing are two different things and my time as Sherlock was one of the hardest lives that I’ve had to give up and move on from. Watching the film may bring up feelings and memories that I’m not yet ready to deal with.”

“You’re not going to go through this alone Tony, we’ll be here with you and will take necessary pauses if you need to take a moment, no one will judge you for that.” 

Nodding his agreement at the super soldier Tony moved towards the couches surrounding the tv and took a seat on the couch directly in front of the screen. Clint, Bruce and Thor took a seat on the couch to Tony’s left, with Bruce sitting next to Thor who would most likely need things explained to him during the film.

Natasha took the armchair on Tony’s left with the only free space left in the room being on the couch with Tony. Glaring at Natasha who only smiled innocently in response, Tony watched at Steve took his place next to him, leaving barely any space between the two men since Steve wasn't a small guy by any means.

Seeing that the disc had been placed into the DVD player, Tony took a deep breath and pressed the play button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's how I decided to explain how Tony was Sherlock. I felt as though I could do more with the idea of past lives than time travel or never ageing and will hopefully explore it in story second part of this series before Game of Shadows. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it :)


	3. The Story Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The movie begins and the team still aren't prepared for the surprises coming their way. Old friends are introduced and Clint has trouble keeping his mouth shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments, reading them really gives me inspiration and makes all the work for this story worth it :)
> 
> This was my first time transcribing a movie so may be rough in places. I will go back once I've done a few more chapters and gotten better at it to edit it.
> 
> Unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Happy reading and I hope you enjoy it!

**The movie begins with the cobbled stones of a street, the street wet with puddles in the gaps between the stones. The sound of carriages and horse galloping can be heard getting loader as the camera begins to move. As the camera pans up from the floor it’s revealed that the noises are being made by three horse drawn carriages racing up a street at night.**

“What year was this again?” Steve wondered, his eyes lit up in fascination at the sight of the past.

“1890,” Tony responded promptly, the sounds of the carriages beginning to make him feel nostalgic already.

**The camera follows the last carriage up the street until we can see inside the back of the carriage through bars via the window. We are shown the close up of two men, one of them being on the cover of the DVD case.**

“Is that who I think it is if I remember the stories right?” Bruce asked to Tony.

“Yep, the one who loaded the gun is my esteemed colleague John Watson while the other fella is Inspector Lestrade.” Tony answered with a fond smile on his face at the sight of the man he hadn't seen in nearly a hundred years, his smile turning sad when he remembered that his friend was no longer around.

**In the carriage one man loads a gun whilst Watson loads a pistol, looking at Lestrade directly opposite him. They appear to be quite serious and no talking is heard in the carriages.**

**A man is then shown running down the streets at a fast pace, only his back being seen at this point. The movie switches from the carriages racing down the streets of London to the man running under arches. A glimpse of the man’s face is revealed by fire light as he is running.**

“That’s you Friend Tony! But why are you running away from your friends?” Thor boomed, already confused with the movie.

“Wait and see big guy, it isn’t what it looks like.”

**As Holmes turns a corner, stumbling slightly a crow is shown cawing and flying away from a nearby perch.**

“Doesn’t that seem a little bit ominous?” Natasha mused.

**The scene returns to the carriage where Lestrade loads a gun, the bench opposite him revealing to have police officers sitting next to Watson. Holmes is shown running past columns of a large building until he reaches some railings, which he vaults over with ease and jumps of the edge of a wall. He falls into a forward roll, landing in a crouch in front of the camera, his breathing slightly elevated from the run.**

**He then turns to a set of wooden doors behind him and opens them, he then appears to kick open a gate behind the doors, which gives way allowing him to enter the building, disappearing into the shadows. He reappears inside the building at the top of some stairs which he quickly makes his way down looking over his shoulder as he does.**

**Holmes stealthily walks towards a doorway where a light can be seen. A guard is shown on a spiral staircase holding a gas light and looking down, only a couple of paces away from Holmes. Before Holmes is seen by the guard, he backtracks a few steps and places his back against the wall. Holmes face is shown to be contemplating his next actions with his voice being heard, yet his mouth was not moving.**

“That’s your voice, right?” Natasha asked, even though she already knew the answer.

“Of course, it just has a British accent is all.” Tony responded not understanding why she needed the clarification.

Clint jumped in then, a smirk on his face as he realised Natasha’s train of thought. “Don’t worry about it man. That accent is pretty hot though, wouldn't you agree Steve?”

Steve began blushing beet red whilst shooting daggers at Clint, deciding not to answer Clint’s question.

**“Head cocked to the left, partial deafness in ear.” A close up of the guard is shown with his face scrunched up and head dipped to the left.**

**“First point of attack.” In slow motion Holmes hits the left side of the guards' head directly over the ear, causing a ringing sound to be heard.**

**“Two, throat. Paralyse vocal cords. Stop screaming.” His left hand pushes into the guards' throat, causing the man to grimace even more in pain.**

**“Three, got to be heavy drinker. Floating rib to the liver.” He then punches the guard with his right arm right where the guards' liver would be and immediately crouches down.**

**“Four, finally, dragging left leg. Fist to patella.” Still in slow motion Holmes delivers the blow to the guards' knee with a sickening crunch.**

**“Summary of prognosis, conscious in ninety seconds. Martial efficacy, quarter of an hour at best. Full faculty recovery unlikely.” Whilst the prognosis is being given the man is shown grimacing in pain as Holmes is still crouched with an impassive look on his face. The scene returns to Holmes who hasn't moved from his spot, where he then uses his coat to cover himself from the approaching guard within the shadows.**

**The guard passes through the door and moves past Holmes who remains hidden until the guard turns around, wherein he then jumps out of the shadows. The next five seconds of the film depicts Holmes effortlessly taking down the guard as was preciously depicted, yet this time at normal speed.**

Steve reached over to Tony and snatched the remote out of his to pause the movie. Tony pulled his eyes away from the screen to see the incredulous looks on his team’s face, knowing that there were still many surprises to still to come.

“What? he grumbled, not particularly keen on answering the coming question.

“What do you mean what?!” Clint exclaimed his eyes bugging out of his face. “You just took out a man in five seconds flat with some strange looking into the future thing.”

“Okay first of you’ve seen me fight before so seeing me do it on screen shouldn't be that surprising and secondly that future thing was just me predicting the outcome of the fight.”

“Explain,” Natasha commanded, her arms folded in a no nonsense type of way, obviously not in the mood for games.

“Back then my observation skills were unparalleled. By noticing a few tiny details, I was able to calculate the odds of a situation and predict the most likely outcome.” Tony explains, not thinking anything extraordinary of it.

The team though thought otherwise.

“You said that your skills are something that sticks with you through all your lives” Steve began, his mind thinking of the tactical advantages Tony’s skills could be used for. “So you can do it in this life?”

Tony shifted uncomfortably, his eyes avoiding making contact with anyone in the room. “Sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of?” Steve demanded, starting to get annoyed with the lack of trust Tony was displaying.

“I mean that in this life I created JARVIS who is programmed with the ability to run the same simulations of fights the way that I do in my head. JARVIS is essentially an extension of myself so I wasn’t lying when I said that sort off okay?!” Tony burst out.

Nodding to himself, since it made sense, although he suspected that Tony was still hiding something, but it wasn't related to the film, Bruce stepped in to try and redirect the teams' attention to film at hand. “Well that’s sorted then can we get back to the film, anymore questions about this can wait to the end of the film okay.”

Receiving mumbles of yeah’s around the room, Steve teared his gaze away from Tony and resumed the film.

Tony sent a grateful look in Bruce’s direction which was acknowledged with a wry head shake.

**As soon as the guard has been disabled Holmes takes his hat and lantern as the guard falls grunting to the floor. With the items Holmes begins to run down the stairs, the camera panning to reveal a bird's eye view of the stair case.**

**The scene changes to show a girl in a white dress lying on some kind of altar decorated in white symbols. A man in a purple cloak with gold embroidering is standing over her, his arms spread wide muttering a mixture of words as part of the ritual.**

“That’s a mixture of Latin and Hebrew,” Natasha noticed, recognising the sounds from her studies of languages.

**Part of the room is revealed with several men standing in the back ground dressed normally near a large stone fixture with the altar being on a raised platform in the middle of the room. Four large metal stands are placed at the corners of the altar, lit on fire providing most of the lighting for the room.**

“A little archaic isn’t it to be performing a sacrifice,” Bruce muttered, the film intriguing him even further.

**A glimpse of the mans' face is shown yet most of it is obscured by the shadows of the hood he is wearing, a crooked front tooth being the only noticeable feature.**

**As the man is chanting the view changes to pan up, moving closer to the upper level to the right of the man where Holmes is observing the ritual and making note of the four men in the background, most presumably guards. As he’s observing, he notices another figure in a black hooded cloak appear, although they make no effort to join the ritual, instead standing off to the side.**

Clint wanted to ask who that was but decided to wait. It would most probably be revealed later in the film he thought.

**Before he could interfere with the ritual, a man approaches from behind Holmes, arm outstretched to grab his shoulder. Without looking Holmes slaps the hand away and then proceeds to turn around stopping the man from retaliating. Watson then shows up and puts the man in a choke hold whilst Sherlock proceeds to cover his nose and mouth to stop him from shouting out.**

**As the man struggles for air, Watson looks down at Holmes.** **“I like the hat,” he whispers.**

**“I just picked it up.”**

**“Did you remember your revolver?” Watson asks.**

**“Ah, knew I forgot something. Thought I’d left the stove on.”**

**“You did.”**

“Are you two really having a conversation whilst choking a man?” Bruce mumbled, regretting his question when he sees the look of grief pass over Tony’s face before being covered with a mask.

“We had a pretty good system going on by that point, more friends than colleagues. Our banter was a big part of our friendship and it seemed to normally happen at inopportune moments,” Tony breathed his eyes becoming slightly glassy with unshed tears.

Nobody knew whether or not they should comfort the genius but before they could Tony regained his composure and resumed the film.

**The man looses consciousness during the conversation with Holmes being the first to notice.**

**“I think that’s quite enough,” he says to Watson letting go of the mans' face. “You are a doctor after all.”**

**Watson takes the mans' pulse at the neck before letting him fall over. Both men rise up from their crouch and shake hands in greeting.**

**“Always nice to see you Watson.” Holmes greets still whispering before both men take off their hats simultaneously, gazes on the scene below them.**

“That was pretty cool,” Steve directed at Tony, trying to put a smile on the other man’s face.

Tony recognised the gesture and shot a thankful look in Steve’s direction at the distraction.

**“Where’s the Inspector?” Holmes questions as Watson removes his coat.**

**“He’s getting his troops lined up.”**

**“Hmm, that could be all day.” Holmes hands Watson back his cane as he moves past him with Watson following straight after.**

**Two pairs of feet are shown running down the stair before the lower level is again shown, this time with a closer view of the guards.**

**Holmes approaches behind the one closest at the back, nearest to the stone fixture. Using his hat to cover the mans' face, he followed up with an elbow, causing the man to fall to the floor. Watson approaches from the other side to immediately dodge a swing from a club by one of the guards and uses the momentum to push him into another guard. With the guards on the floor Watson kicks the closest one in the stomach but receives a punch to the face from the first one whilst he was occupied.**

“Never take your eyes of your opponent,” Clint offered, his eyes meeting Natasha’s across the room as they knew how a mistake like that could nearly cost you your life.

**The speaker glances at the cloaked man at the edge of the room who turns around sharply and leaves due to the fight, his identity still not revealed. The speaker returns his attention to the woman in front of him who has unclasped her arms to her side. To the left of her lies a knife which now lays directly under her hand.**

“Oh no” Steve whispered, desperately hoping that the woman wasn't about to kill herself.

**The fight is still continuing behind the ritual as Holmes is still engaged with two guard. One guards goes to hit at Holmes with a club, misses and hits the other guard since Holmes ducked out of the way. They are then seen grappling with each other whilst Watson is still dealing with his own guards and screams out in pain as the one he kicked bites him in the leg.**

“That’s just fighting dirty!” Clint exclaimed. “Trying to cheat his way through a fight.”

“I bit you on the Helicarrier when we were fighting,” Natasha said quietly, her face completely void of emotion whilst Clint’s face turned white as a ghost.

“Yeah…but…that was-” he stammered trying to find an acceptable excuse to avoid Natasha from maiming him.

“Just accept your punishment Clint so we can carry on with the film,” Bruce chimed, his voice barely containing his humour at Clint’s predicament.

**A fifth man approaches from an entrance way near the altar with a gun raised in his right hand. He fires a shot aimed at Holmes which misses and hits a column causing a ringing sound to be heard. Watson looks up in concern at the sound of the shot.**

**Holmes then proceeds to use the guards' clubs to manoeuvre the man in front of him just as another shot is fired, this time the shot piercing the guard in the shoulder instead of Holmes. Holmes pushes the guard into the shooter and knocking the gun out his hand using the club. Watson knees one of his guards in the stomach and turns around using his cane to whack the one who bit him in the face.**

**Holmes with clubs in both his hands uses a range of motions to defend and knock out the guard who had been shot. The ringing noises ceases to be heard at this point.**

**The girl is then seen shaking, seizing nearly, her hand picking up the ceremonial knife whilst Sherlock twirls the clubs around once and brings them down without mercy on the hands of the man who had the gun.**

“Come on Friends you must hurry to save the fair maiden,” Thor frowned, his face pinched in worry for the young lady.

**Using the one of the clubs, he pushes the man over as Watson looks over to the ritual and pulls his own gun from his pocket. Looking over Holmes sees that the girl has started to raise the knife, positioning it over her heart. Watson whacks another guard on the floor over the head and raises his gun towards the cloaked figure.**

**The girl starts to bring the knife down, very nearly piercing her heart before she is stopped by Holmes who grabs at her forearm and forcibly removes the knife from her possession. As he does so the altar is shown with a screeching noise as a gust of wind passes through the room and extinguishes the fires.**

“That was slightly spooky,” Bruce mumbled receiving nods from the others.

**Holmes brandishes one of the clubs in front of him at the cloaked figure, ready to defend himself if need be as the girl lay gasping on the altar.**

**“Sherlock Holmes,” a low voice says from underneath the hood, not sounding worried about being stopped. “And his loyal dog,” he calls over his shoulder at Watson who is standing straight and unwavering with a gun pointed at the man.**

“That made me angry,” Tony ground out behind clenched teeth at the insult to his long dead best friend.

**“Tell me doctor as a medical man have you enjoyed my work?”**

**“Let me show you how much I’ve enjoyed it.” Triggered by the question Watson rushes up behind the figure, clearly intent on attacking him.**

**“Watson! Don’t.” Holmes exclaims rushing to intervene before Watson could get any closer at the same time the figure turns around. Clasped in his hands is a long thin glass spike that becomes noticeable to the audience as the light hits it, the point ending a mere few inches from Watson’s face.**

Steve flinched at how closely Watson had come to injury. “Sneaky bastard,” he whispers.

“My eye sight is pretty impressive, I mean they don't call me Hawkeye for nothing and yet I didn’t even spot that,” Clint frowned feeling slightly intimidated at the display of Tony’s skills.

**“Observe,” Sherlock orders.**

**“How did you see that?” questions Watson, his face reflecting shock at how easily he was nearly impaled.**

**“Because I was looking for it,” Holmes replies using his clubs to smash the spike, both men staring at the hooded figure before Holmes uses a club to lower the hood. The figure is revealed to be a man with slicked back black hair and an imposing demeanour.**

**“Lord Blackwood!” Watson exclaimed.**

**“You seem surprised,” the man responds, looking slightly bored at the situation at hand.**

“Why was that surprising?” Steve asked, the buff blonde slightly confused as to why it would make a difference if it was a Lord.

“Because back then Lord’s had a higher social standing than most and were therefore seen to be better than the common criminal. The fact that the murders were committed by him made the case a lot more intriguing although because he was a Lord most of the attention was on him afterward and not the women that he murdered.” Tony replied bitterly at the memory, feeling angry for the women who were forgotten, to be associated with a killer in the history books.

**“I say the girl deserves your attention more than he.”**

**“Indeed,” agrees Watson before whipping Blackwood in the face with his cane as he makes his way to the woman still on the altar.**

“Boo yah bitch!” Clint shouted receiving slight glares from Steve and Natasha for interrupting.

**One of the guards has regained consciousness and is slowly crawling his way to a gun when the Inspector and his troops enter the room. Lestrade immediately makes his way to the guard and brandishes his own gun in warning. “Oh I’d leave that alone if I was you boy-o.” As the guard surrenders, Lestrade mockingly praises him. “Good lad.” he says before kicking him in the face.**

“Why did the Inspector do that?” Thor asked. “I thought on Midgard once then enemy had been defeated they were to be arrested, not continued to be attacked.”

“It was a different time Thor, criminals were treated differently back then,” Bruce answered, his eyes glued to the screen lest he miss anything.

**“Impeccable timing Lestrade,” Sherlock calls out, drawing the attention of the police to his position. The police stare at Blackwood and Holmes in slight shock as they take in the scene.**

**“We’ve one for the doctor and one for the rope.”**

**“Clarky.” Lestrade addresses one of his men, clearly shown to be surprised at who is being arrested. “Sir,” an officer responds, moving forward to arrest Blackwood.**

**“This woman needs a hospital immediately.” Watson shouts as he’s examining the woman.**

**“Put her in the back of the Moriah.”**

“The Inspector’s carriage,” Tony explained at the puzzled looks of the team.

**Clarky approaches cautiously  Blackwood, who mockingly presents his wrists to which he is then handcuffed. Blackwood jerks away from Clarky once the handcuffs are placed on his wrists.**

**“If you don’t mind,” he growls asserting his position over the officer to walk on his own accord.**

“Punk,” Steve muttered under his breath although Tony heard due to his closeness and had to stifle a laugh in response.

**“Get him out of my sight.” Lestrade orders, his tone dripping with disgust. As Blackwood is removed, the officers not daring to touch him, Lestrade turns towards Holmes who has crossed the room during the arrest to stand next to Lestrade. “And you were supposed to wait for my orders.”**

**“If I had you would be cleaning up a corpse and chasing a rumour. Besides the girls' parents hired me, not the Yard. Why they thought you required any assistance is beyond me.”**

“Do you always have to go around and provoke people in authority? Natasha asked Tony, a small grin on her face as she remembered the last time he had made a fool out of officials.

Tony grinned back, not apologetic in the slightest. “It’s just my charming personality.”

**“Well London will breathe a sigh of relief,” Lestrade says, either ignoring Holmes insult or not recognising it.**

**“Indeed, congratulations Lestrade,” chimes in Watson, praising the Inspector.**

**“Bravo Inspector,” Holmes says congratulating the Inspector whilst removing a cigar from his jacket pocket and to offer to the inspector. “Have a cigar.”**

“Wait, you two did all the work and yet your giving the credit to the Inspector?” Clint questioned, disbelief colouring his tone that Tony wouldn’t soak up the attention for himself.

Tony shrugged, deferring not to answer at this particular point as the reasons would become apparent later in the film.

**As Lestrade takes the cigar, the men are interrupted by a photographer who has appeared at the crime scene.**

**“Gentleman, cheese!” The picture is taken with Lestrade and Watson staring directly at the lens, whereas Holmes has covered his face with his arm and a club, concealing his identity. The photo changes until it is shown printed on the front page of a newspaper with the headline ‘SCOTLAND YARD CATCHES KILLER’ and a subheading of ‘SHERLOCK HOLMES AIDES POLICE.’**

“The music is pretty catchy by the way,” Clint remarked, a dead serious look on his face, provoking a laugh out of Tony at the randomness of the statement. The rest of the team joined in after a few seconds, relishing in the opportunity to laugh. They weren't sure if they would get the chance to again during the film.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure what the updating schedule will be for this as some scenes will be more difficult to write than others and it takes a while to write out even a small scene. I won't let it go more than two weeks for an update though that's for sure.
> 
> Until next time :)


	4. Stagnation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind comments and kudos :)
> 
> This is a slightly shorter chapter but I felt that the cut off point should be here as the next chapter will be dinner and a fight so that one will be slightly longer.
> 
> All mistakes are my own so happy reading!

**The film restarts with a street sign showing the words BAKER STREET N.W. The camera pans backwards to reveal the bustling street where people are going about their day. Horse drawn carriages driven by men in top hats, people in scruffy clothing working, women in fancy dresses being escorted roam down the street.**

Steve breathed in awe at the sight before him. “It’s amazing,” he whispered at the sight of history, receiving a puzzled glance from Tony.

“I guess if you like the smell of horse manure and pickpockets but it’s nothing special,” he dismissed.

Steve wholeheartedly disagreed with Tony’s view but decided against arguing.

**On the other side of the street is a row of building where the camera moves close to one in particular. The building is white with a black door and a gas lamp in front of it proclaiming it to be 221B.**

**“One hundred and fifty-six over eighty, very good.”**

**“My nerves are the best they’ve been in years thanks to you.” An unfamiliar male voice replies as the camera moves up to show the second-floor window where Watson is watching the street below.**

Bruce remembered from the stories that Watson was also a medical doctor.

**“Tell me something your new premises when are you moving in?” An elderly white haired man is sitting next to Watson in an office, putting his jacket back on as Watson responds.**

**“I should be in within the week. Cavendish place. And there’ll be a woman’s touch.”**

“Don’t see why a woman’s touch was better that my own,” Tony grumbled under his breath.

Steve turned to stare at him curiously until Tony waved him off.

**“Oh well that’s marvellous.”**

**“Inde-” Before he could finish his sentence the sounds of gunfire are heard followed by two more shots causing both men to duck.**

The Avengers also duck at the noise, as Natasha gave the screen a calculating look. “Why do I have the feeling that was you?”

**“Woah!”**

**“Good God!” The man shouted as another shot rang out. “That was gunfire!”**

**“No!” Watson exclaims still bent over at the waist, looking towards the door where the shots rang out from. “No, no, hammer and nail wasn't it? My colleague’s just probably putting up a painting. I’ll go check,” assured Watson starting to make his way to leave the room.**

**“Your colleague...” the man begins.**

**“Yes.”**

**“Won't be moving with you, will he?” At this Watson stares at the man for a few seconds before facing the door again. “No he won’t” Watson says determinedly.**

“Like he could have stopped me,” Tony muttered.

**Leaving the room Watson emerges on the impressively decorated landing where an old woman is stood outside a door looking quite worried.**

“Nanny,” Tony hissed at the sight of the woman, visibly recoiling from the screen.

The team looked on in amusement at the show, finding it slightly funny how Tony was reacting to a seemingly inconspicuous old lady.

**“Mrs Hudson.” Watson greets as the woman begins to make her refusals.**

**“I won’t go in there by myself, not while he's got a gun in his hand.”**

**“You don't have to go in there at all, give me the paper.” Watson assures Mrs Hudson who only looks dejected in response.**

**“Oh, what will I do when you leave doctor? He’ll have the whole house down!” Mrs Hudson exclaimed.**

Bruce grimaced in thought at the idea of what Tony could get up to if left to his own devices.

**“He just needs another case that’s all,” remarks Watson quickly, taking the paper out of her hands.**

**“Ooh couldn’t you have a longer engagement,” she pleads to which Watson only chuckles.**

**The sound of a door is heard opening and the elderly man appears on the landing still sounding very angry about the gunshots.**

**“I smell gunpowder. It’s not right you know, not in a domestic environment.” Another gunshot rings out, this time louder than the previous ones. The occupants on the landing duck and gasp.**

Bruce mock glared at Tony. “You did that in direct response to his comment to provoke him.”

**“Thank you, Captain Phillips,” murmurs Watson trying to calm the Captain down. “Perhaps a nice cup of tea, same time next week.”**

**He passes the Captain to Mrs Hudson who shows the Captain downstairs whilst Watson makes his way to the door where the gunshots originated from.**

**“Come along Captain, its quieter downstairs.”**

**Quickly catching Mrs Hudson before she makes her way downstairs, Watson calls out.**

**“Mrs Hudson,” he begins his voice slightly apologetic as he points at the door, “bring something to cheer him up.” Mrs Hudson gives a slight huff and continues to head downstairs.**

“She doesn’t seem so bad,” Steve started cautiously until he was cut off by Tony’s vigorous head shake.

**Taking a deep sigh Watson waited for a moment and then knocked twice on the door in question. Opening the door, he found that it only opened a short way before stopping since something blocked its way. The opening was large enough for someone to pass through so Watson entered the room which was in darkness.**

**A gun is barely seen in the lack of light but it can be seen that someone is holding it and cocks it as Watson enters. At the sight of the gun Watson ducks his head.**

**“Permission to enter the armoury.” Watson asks sounding resigned at having to play this game.**

**“Granted.” Holmes voice replies just as the gun is fired again.**

**On the wall, the shots have made the letters VR, the bullet holes blackened around the edges while one is still smoking.**

“What does VR mean?” Natasha questioned.

Tony shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

**“Watson,” Holmes starts excitedly “I am in the process of inventing a device that suppresses the sound of a gunshot.” Watson opens the curtain, letting light into the room which reveals the state of it.**

“You seriously tried to silence a revolver?” Clint exclaimed.

**“Aargh!” came Holmes pained cry at the sudden increase of light.**

**“It’s not working.” Watson informs as he limps over to Holmes with his arm outstretched.**

“What’s with the limp?” Steve asked.

“He was a veteran of the Second Afghan War and even though he survived he suffered some trauma to his leg that resulted in the limp that you can see.”

**“Can I see that?” Taking the offered gun from Holmes who is still recovering from the light exposure, Watson quickly examines the gun before placing it on a table. The table itself has many pieces of paper on it which Watson begins to sort through.**

**“You know it’s been three months since your last case.” Kicking the lever shut that would allow the smoke to start dissipating from the room as he smelled a cup of liquid that he tossed on the fire.**

“I don’t think I would have been brave enough to smell that,” shuddered Steve since he had once had the unpleasant experience of drinking what he had thought was coffee in Tony’s lab. When he had spat the drink out in realisation that it wasn't coffee, he had been hesitant to ever drink anything in Tony’s lab again.

**Holmes is still in the same spot that he was when Watson entered the room, his eyes covered with his hand.**

**“Gently,” he begins, “gently Watson. Be gentle with me… Aargh!” Watson opens another curtain and the sound of falling and glasses breaking is heard as Watson starts to read the papers, not taking any notice of Holmes antics.**

“He must have put up with a lot to be able to ignore your shenanigans,” Bruce sighed well aware how dramatic Tony could be at times in the lab.

**“Don’t you think it’s time you found another one?” Crawling across the floor in a ratty old dressing gown, Holmes is remarkably less put together than the last time he was seen. His hair was a mess, sticking up at odd angles and his face slightly weary probably from lack of sleep.**

“You look like a hot mess,” Clint said insulting the usually put together man.

Steve shook his head in disagreement. “I think he looks fine,” he retorted in defence of Tony before blushing at the knowing looks of the team.

**“I can’t but agree. My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems. Give me work. The sooner the better.”**

Thor frowned in concern at the Man of Iron’s words, wondering if he was perhaps sick.

“Why do you speak like that Friend Tony? Is there something that ails you?”

Tony slumped his shoulders, fighting the urge to chuckle since the big guy was only looking out for him. “I have a very active mind and need stimulation. Nowadays I can keep myself in control and occupied due to the change in technology but back then I found that if I had no cases, my mind would go slightly haywire.”

**As he reaches Watson he is given the paper which he accepts with a slightly scathing look. Holmes sits on the floor next to Watson who takes a seat on a chair above him.**

**“Paper. Let’s see then. There’s a letter here from Mrs Ramsey of Queen’s Park. Her husband disappeared.”**

**The paper in Holmes hands proclaim that Blackwood is too hang today.**

“Good riddance,” Clint murmured, unaware that the film was soon to deliver the first of many twists.

**“He’s in Belgium with the scullery maid.” Holmes answers easily as Watson cuts him a quick glance only to turn away in exasperation at Holmes question.**

**“Is it November?”**

**“Yes Holmes.” Holmes just looks slightly confused perhaps wondering how he could have been unaware that three months had passed.**

“It’s just like when your down in the workshop,” recalled Steve remembering how Tony could lose track of time so easy.

**“Alright, Lady Radford reports…oh her emerald bracelet has disappeared.”**

**“Insurance swindle. Lord Radford likes fast woman and slow ponies. I see you’re the attending physician at Blackwood’s hanging.”**

**“Yes. It was our last case together and I wanted to see it through to the end.” Silence follows Watson’s words as both men appear to not have anything to say. Holmes looks away and Watson clears his throat after looking slightly concerned at Holmes, neither taking notice of the knock at the door.**

“Awkward,” Clint muttered at the two men.

“Indeed,” Thor agreed. “Although I am at a loss at to why it was your last case together when you both work well with each other.”

Tony huffed at the questioning stares. “I’m sure you’ll find out later in the film.”

**Mrs Hudson enters the room with a tray containing tea cups and a tea pot. Holmes folds up his paper at her entrance.**

**“A Mr Lewis is seeking ad-”**

**“There is only one case that intrigues me at present,” Holmes interrupts his tone becoming a tad darker. “The curious case of Mrs Hudson, the absentee landlady. I’ve been studying her comings and goings, they appear most sinister.” He finished on a whisper, not blinking during his observation of the land lady.**

**“Tea Mr Holmes?”**

**“Is it poisoned nanny?” he snarked.**

**“There’s enough of that in you already,” Mrs Hudson said sweetly.**

“She didn’t take any of your crap, did she?” crowed Clint, his eyes alight with humour.

**“Don’t touch everything is in its proper place as per usual…nanny.”**

**Only taking an old tray that had been left there previously, Mrs Hudson made her way to leave the room glancing at a dog lying on the floor. “He’s killed the dog. Again.”**

The team minus Tony gasped at the sight of the ‘dead’ dog, shooting Tony dark looks. Tony just shook his head and pointed at the screen.

**Watson rushes over to the dog’s side and checks his pulse. “What have you done to Gladstone now?”**

**“I was simply testing a new anaesthetic. He doesn't mind.”**

“See I didn’t kill the dog,” Tony informed them as he rolled his eyes at their collective sighs of relief.

**“Holmes as your doctor-” Watson starts as he’s rising to his feet.**

**“He’ll be right as a trivet in no time.”**

**“As your friend! You’ve been in this room for two weeks I insist that you have you get out.”**

“You must stink,” Clint said, his nose scrunched up in disgust.

“No worse than your socks after a mission,” Tony shot back.

**“There’s nothing of interest for me, out there, on earth, at all.”**

“You most certainly have not changed much Friend Tony,” chuckled Thor.

**Watson acknowledged Holmes point, putting his hands in his pocket as he began questioning him.**

**“So you’re free this evening?”**

**“Absolutely.”**

**“Dinner?”**

**“Wonderful.”**

**“The Royale?”**

**“My favourite.”**

**“Mary’s coming.”**

**Holmes face turns panicked at having been caught in the trap that Watson laid. “Not available.”**

“What’s wrong with Mary?” Bruce asks with suspicions that he had linked to Mrs Hudson’s words of an engagement that were confirmed at the jealous look that passed over Tony’s face.

“Nothing,” shot Tony too quickly for anyone to believe.

**“You’re meeting her Holmes!” shouts Watson in annoyance.**

**Holmes turns away from Watson before calling over his shoulder. “Have you proposed yet?”**

“Ah,” Natasha and Clint whisper unanimously at the understanding of the situation.

**Watson shakes his head. “No,” he admits, “I haven't found the right ring.”**

**“Oh well then it’s not official,” Holmes states.**

**“It’s happening whether you like it or not. Eighty thirty, the Royale. Wear a jacket.”**

**“You wear a jacket,” Holmes retorts to which the response is a slamming door.**

“For a supposed genius that was a slightly childish response,” Natasha teased although she knew why the genius in question had a bad comeback.

She wouldn’t say anything about it yet though instead waiting for when Tony was ready to acknowledge it.


	5. Dinner Ends With A Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner between Holmes, Watson and Mary happens and Steve has some startling revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter since I found myself on a roll from the last one and wanted to give you all something a bit longer than before.  
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos and special thanks to the people who gave me the idea for a jealous Steve, I hope this is what your looking for :)  
> Unbeta'd so all mistake are my own.

**It is now night in the movie and a very large building wish shown with a Union Jack flag hanging off the front. Inside the building, it is alive with people having dinner. It is a very sophisticated setting with people dressed in their best clothing, suggesting that it is very upscale. Classical music is heard playing in the background amongst the noise of a dinner time rush.**

Bruce raised his eyebrows at the upscale restaurant. “Very nice.”

“If you think that is nice my Friend, then wait until you see the Halls of Asgard! They put that banquet hall to shame,” Thor boomed, not as impressed with the elegance as the rest of them.

**Holmes is seated alone at a table, flicking open a pocket watch and checking the time before his eyes start to observe the room.**

**“A man? Outside my house?” a man exclaims to his dinner partner.**

**A waiter is cleaning a silver spoon before subtly placing it in his inside jacket pocket.**

“I could teach him a thing or two about stealing, not very subtle at all,” mumbled Clint, recalling on his years as a petty thief to survive.

**Another waiter is chastised by a manager for his state of dress. “Straighten your tie.”**

**Holmes appears to become agitated at the observations and sounds, closing his eyes to try and block the simulation. Instead the conversations get louder along with a ticking noise until a single voice interrupts.**

Steve closed his eyes at the barrage of noises, his mind finding it slightly overwhelming. Feeling a warm hand on his shoulder, he opened them and smiled at Tony to signal that he was okay. Tony made to move his hand away but Steve shook his head. Tony just shrugged and made no further move to remove the hand.

**“Holmes,” Watson announces to which Holmes opens his eyes. Before him is Watson along with a beautiful young woman. The woman is wearing a very elegant blue dress with impressive jewellery. She has a welcoming smile on her face as her arm is linked with Watson’s.**

**“You’re early.”**

**Smirking slightly, he just closes the watch and begins to rise from his chair. “Fashionably.”**

Natasha recognised that tactic for what it was. “You just wanted to catch them off guard instead of the other way around.”

**“This is Mary Morstan,” Watson introduces.**

**“Oh my goodness, what a pleasure.” Holmes takes Mary’s hand and places a kiss on top of it in greeting. As she is taking her own seat, Holmes turns slightly to Watson whilst still talking to Mary, smiling slightly at the end. “For the life of me I don't know why it’s taken him so long to introduce us properly.”**

“Yeah right,” Bruce muttered under his breath, low enough so Tony couldn’t hear but Steve did with his super soldier hearing and adopted a confused stare.

**“Pleasure is mine,” gushes Mary slightly before she starts the conversation. “It really is quite a thrill to meet you Mr Holmes, I’ve heard so much about you. I have a pile of detective novels at home, Wilkie Collins, Poe-”**

**“It’s true,” added Watson, smiling at Mary whereas Holmes begins to look like he’s losing interest.**

“She’s laying it on a bit thick isn’t she?” stated Natasha as she studied the woman who she assumed was trying to make a good impression.

**“It can seem a little far fetched though sometimes, making these grand assumptions out of such tiny details.”**

“She basically just down played what you do,” realised Steve, scowling at the woman.

**“That’s not quite right is it?” Holmes interjects with his eyes on the ceiling. “In fact the little details are by far the most important.” Mary ducks her head at the correction.**

**“Take Watson-”**

**“I intend to,” Mary interrupts, a knowing look on her face that is reflected on Watson’s face. Holmes gives a small huff of laughter before his face becomes unimpressed.**

“Yowza,” Clint whispered at the icy look.

**“See his walking stick, a rare African snake wood hiding a blade of high tensile steel.” Pulling on Watson’s walking stick reveals the blade in question.**

“I want one,” Clint exclaimed, picturing himself looking mighty fine with a weapon like that. Everyone else though thought differently but were willing to humour him so that they could make fun of him in the future.

**“A few were awarded to veteran’s of the Afghan War so I can assume he’s a decorated soldier. Strong, brave, born to be a man of action and neat like all military men.”**

“Indeed, Watson seemed like a fine soldier, he would have made a great addition to any team,” Thor boomed. Thor received a glowing smile from Tony at the compliment.

**Rummaging in Watson’s pocket, Holmes pulls out a piece of paper. “Now I check his pockets, ah a stub from a boxing match.” An uncomfortable expression falls on Watson’s face as he shifts slightly in his chair. “Now I can infer that he’s a bit of a gambler, I’d keep an eye on that dowry if I were you.”**

**“Those days are behind me,” Watson states, trying to defend himself at Holmes’ meddling.**

**“Right behind you. He’s cost us the rent more than once.”**

“Seriously Tony,” Bruce demanded, knowing full well what he was trying to do.

**“Well with all due respect Mr Holmes, you know John very well, what about a complete stranger? What can you tell about me?”**

**“You?”**

**“I don’t think that’s-” chimes Watson.**

**“I don’t know that’s-“**

**“Not at dinner-“**

**“Perhaps another time.”**

**“I insist.”**

**“You insist.”**

**“You remember we discussed this.”**

**“The lady insists,” Holmes quips** **back with finality, knowing Watson would not argue against Mary’s wishes.**

“I don’t even know how you manipulated the situation to do that,” Natasha confessed, impressed at subtle manipulation used to turn the situation to Tony’s advantage.

**Receiving no further argument except for Watson’s glare, Holmes shifts his chair across the floor to shorten the distance between him and Mary. He stares intently at the woman in question for a few seconds before making his observations known.**

**“You’re a Governess.”**

“What is a Governess?” Thor asked.

“It’s a woman who’s employed by a private household to teach the children.”

**“Well done.”**

**“Yes well done, shall we, waiter!” Watson claps and tries to beckon a waiter over to stop the proceedings, but is unsuccessful.**

“Poor man,” winced Bruce in sympathy at being unable to stop the force that is Tony Stark.

**“Your student, is a boy of eight”**

**“Charlie seven actually,” Mary corrects.**

**“Then he’s very tall for his age. He flicked ink at you today.” Holmes made the comment in an offhand manner as Mary gasped.**

**“Is there ink on my face?”**

**“There’s nothing wrong with your face” Watson responds as he pours some wine.**

“I wouldn’t say that,” glowered Tony at Watson’s compliment. “Her left eye was slightly lower than her right,” he finished with a sniff.

**“There are two drops on your ear in fact. India Blue’s nearly impossible to wash off.” Holmes gestures to her right ear as she glances at Watson smirking slightly. Watson appears to be taking a large drink of wine to cope with his nerves.**

“You’re going to need a lot more wine,” laughed Clint.

**“Anyway a very impetuous act by the boy but you’re too experienced to react rashly, which is why the Lady for whom you work lent you that necklace.” The necklace in question is seen on Mary who has lost the humorous look on her face. “Oriental pearls, diamonds, a flawless ruby, hardly the gems of a Governess.”**

Thor frowned at the slight towards the young maiden. Friend Tony may not have wanted to meet her but that was no excuse to treat her unjustly.

**“However the jewels you are not wearing tell us rather more.”**

**“Holmes,” Watson warns dangerously.**

“Please don’t do anything rash,” Steve pleaded, not knowing that the damage had already been done.

**“You were engaged,” Holmes continues ignoring the warning, too lost in his deductions. “The ring is gone but the lighter skin where it once sat suggests that you spent some time abroad wearing it proudly.” A glimpse of Mary’s left hand is shown as she runs her fingers over the patch of skin in question. She then takes her own drink as Holmes barrels on, seemingly unaware of the rising tension.**

“Stop it you fool,” muttered Bruce, even though he knew that Tony was fully aware of what he has doing.

**“That is until you were informed of it’s true and rather modest worth at which point you broke of the engagement returned to England for better prospects. A doctor perhaps?” Mary threw her drink in Holmes face, losing her composure for a brief moment before regaining it. Watson just ducks his head in resignation at the turn of events.**

“Oh dear,” Steve murmured.

**“Right on all counts Mr Holmes apart from one. I didn’t leave him, he died.” Rising from her chair she casts a brief look at Watson who gives her a nod before she makes her way out of the room.**

“I would call you an idiot,” Natasha began softly, “but you did that intentionally.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” shifted Tony uncomfortably in his seat at the disapproving stares.

“You deliberately misread her to cast her in a bad light. That was pure jealousy right there.”

Steve frowned at Natasha’s words, his eyes flicking from Tony’s guilty face to the screen before he understood her meaning. Moving his shoulder out of Tony’s hand, he recalled on Tony’s earlier words that there were things he hadn't been ready to deal with, Steve finally understood. Tony or Sherlock had feelings for Watson that were more than a friend should have for a friend. A strange feeling began to take up residence in Steve’s chest at the thought of Tony being in love with another person.

“Okay fine,” Tony exclaimed, oblivious to the loss of contact between him and Steve. “I may have made up the last part but I only wanted to see if Watson was aware. I was only looking out for him.”

Recognising the statement as a half truth, Steve put a stop to the questioning before more truths came out that he didn’t want to hear. “Let’s just watch the movie,” he growled ignoring the looks of concern. He just wanted to finish watching the movie so that he could go and deal with his broken heart.

**Finally moving from his position that he had adopted after Mary threw her drink, Holmes takes a sigh as a questioning look passes over his face.**

**“Well done old boy,” Watson says softly before he too made his exit, leaving Holmes alone at the table. Within seconds of Watson’s exit, two waiters arrive bringing with them Holmes’ dinner. Acting as though nothing had out of the ordinary occurred, Holmes places a napkin in his collar and tucks into his meal.**

“I wasn’t going to waste a perfectly good meal,” informed Tony although in all honesty the meat that night had been a little dry.

**As he’s cutting up the food, the music begins to change from downbeat to uplifting with a slight Irish feel to it just as he places some meat into his mouth.**

**Dinner Holmes is immediately replaced with a shirtless, sweaty Holmes falling backwards onto a wooden wall with cheering people behind h** im.

“What the hell?” Bruce gasped.

Steve also gasped slightly but his reasons were slightly different. Even though his mind was starting to deal with the idea that Tony loved another, his body hadn't gotten the message and he found himself slightly turned on by the sight of a sweaty Tony. Shifting slightly in his seat to hide the evidence, he failed to see the amused glances of the team as they tried to conceal their laughter.

**Clapping slightly patronisingly, he ducks twice from an unknown mans hits before coming back up and slapping the man on the back of the head which causes the bigger man to fall slightly. A glimpse of the room shows that Holmes is fighting in a ring of some sort and the people cheering are spectators betting on the match.**

“I liked to have a friendly fight sometimes and it earned me some money on the side,” Tony defended. Only Thor nodded his understanding since he took it as another way of sparring. The others were doubtful that this was a friendly fight due to the look on the other mans face but declined to say anything.

**Holmes continues to block the mans jabs with his own slaps, which are much more effective.**

Sitting up right Clint shared a look with Natasha as they both recognised the style of fighting but had never been able to master it.

“That’s bartitsu,” he whispered in awe at the moves that were designed to surprise the opponent before they could regain their footing and to subject key parts of the body to strains. It was a slightly more defensive style but very effective as you essentially used your opponents body against them. Clint and Natasha had tried to learn it but had found that they preferred attack over defence.

“You know of it?” asked Tony, disbelief colouring his tone since he had never met anyone who knew of the style.

“We both do,” Natasha chimed in, “but we’ve never been able to master it. Do you think you could teach us?”

Tony pondered the idea for a moment before agreeing, his mind doing a happy dance at being able to teach the master assassins a thing or two about fighting.

**With his guard up Holmes blocks a few more shots before the man gets one in that sends him reeling. Coming up against the wall, he takes a swig of the offered drink of a spectator before rushing forward and swinging the man into the wall.**

“That’s slightly disgusting,” frowned Bruce at the sight of Tony taking a drink of an unknown substance.

**Holmes walks in a circle with his arms out wide to the crowd before he is taken off his feet by his opponent.**

“Stop antagonising him,” Natasha growled. It was the one thing Tony still did today that annoyed her. When he deliberately went out of his way to antagonise the villains and coincidentally made the situation worse. Sometimes he forgot that not everyone had a metal suit to protect them from his inability to think ahead, even though he had demonstrated that he could in fact think ahead.

**Slapping the mans back it turns into a slight brawl before Holmes escapes and slaps the man across the face.**

“Bitch slap,” Clint shouted, holding his fist out to Tony. Tony rolled his eyes but didn’t leave Clint hanging as Steve shook his head at their antics.

**Enraged his opponent grabs at him again, trying to bite Holmes before he is fended off. Holmes is tossed to the floor and again claps patronisingly as he rises. Facing the wall as he gets up he finds an embroidered handkerchief on the side right in front of him.**

“What are those initials?” Bruce asked at Tony although Clint answered instead.

Clint pointed at his eyes, some part of him trying to reassure that his eyesight was still the best.“I.A.”

**Holmes begins searching the crowd frantically and as he is distracted is punched right in the face sending him down again. His opponent begins shouting at him to get up which Holmes does, this time with blood dripping down his chin. As he looks up a young woman is across the room in the crowd, out of place in her dark red dress and clean appearance.**

Tony’s breath hitched and his eyes were glued to the sight of the woman who he thought he would never see alive again. Tracing the long lost beauty and grace of Irene Adler, Tony felt something in his heart clench even though he had long ago accepted her death.

Steve noticed Tony’s reaction and he too felt something in his body. A feeling that had intensified from the dinner scene although he still couldn’t put a name to it. Of course there would be someone else that captured his attention and it would be a stunningly beautiful woman.

Natasha just sighed at the two men, wishing that they both got their heads out of their asses long enough to realise that they both loved each other.

**She sends him a wink to which Holmes receives and starts to leave the ring.**

Steve ground his teeth at the wink.

**“That’s it big man, we're done. You’ve won, congratulations.”**

**“Oi we ain’t done yet,” the man snarls and as Holmes walks past him, he gathers up a large mouthful of spit and releases it on the back of Holmes head. Holmes freezes.**

“He insulted your honour,” Thor grumbled in a serious tone at the disrespect of his shield brother.

“Yeah,” Clint added with wide eyes. “Shit’s gonna go down.”

**The mysterious woman is seen making a bet as Holmes internal monologue begins.**

**“This mustn't register on an emotional level.” Holmes voice is slightly chilling, the tone suggesting that no mercy is going to be shown.**

**“First distract target.” The handkerchief is thrown into the man's face in slow motion just like the fight with the guard in the first scene.**

“A distraction is always good,” nods Natasha in approval.

**“Then block his blind jab.” The man attempts to hit Holmes using his left arm which Holmes pushes away.**

**“Counter with cross to left cheek.” Holmes uses his right arm to throw the punch causing the man to lose his footing slightly.**

**“Discombobulate.” Holmes claps both his hands over the mans ear with an astonishing amount of force.**

Thor found himself grinning at the word, making a mental note to use it on a daily basis.

**“Dazed he’ll attempt wild Haymaker, employ elbow block and body shot.” The man attempts to punch Holmes which is defended. Holmes then uses his right arm to punch the man in the ribs.**

**“Block feral left, weaken right jaw, now fracture.” He blocks the uppercut with his right arm and uses his left elbow on the mans jaw. The man's jaw is fractured with a left jab with a crack being heard.**

**“Break cracked ribs, then traumatise solar plexus. Dislocate jaw entirely.” Holmes showing no mercy with anger clear on his face proceeds to land two punches to the mans torso before punching the man in the jaw on the right side.**

**“Heel kick to diaphragm.” Leaping up Holmes delivers a front kick which sends the man sprawling through the doors to the ring.**

**“In summary ears ringing, jaw fractured, three ribs cracked, four broken, diaphragm haemorrhaging. Physical recovery six weeks. Full psychological recovery six months. Capacity to spit at back of head neutralised.”**

Clint found himself wincing at the injury list since he himself had experienced all of them just never at the same time.

**Coming back to himself Holmes rubs the spit away from his head and finds the woman gone during his prediction. Walking back to the handkerchief, he picks it up to rub away any remaining spit whilst the crowd cheers and the soon to be broken man waits for the fight to continue. Just like previously in the movie, the slow motion fight scene in Holmes head again takes place, this time in real time with Holmes taking the man down in eight seconds.**

Clint whistled in awe at the flawless take down. “Remind me to never get you angry.”

“Oh that wasn’t me angry,” Tony said flippantly. “That was me pissed but not angry.”

“So what would you do if someone truly angered you?” Natasha asked as a faint spike of fear went though her at the thoughts.

Tony thought about it for a minute, his face twisted in contemplation before he shrugged. “Probably try and take over the world,” he answered completely unaware of the stunned expressions of his team.

“Yeah I’m definitely not going to make you angry,” Clint said, trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room. “I’m not going to be blamed for humanity’s enslavement.” With a collective snort the team resumed the film, although five of them were now wondering how else the film was going to make the re-evaluate one of their own.

**The crowd quickly dies down and silence reigns as the man rolls around the floor in pain whilst Holmes picks up the handkerchief to shake it off.**

**“Where did that come from?” A man in the crowd asks aloud. The crowd appeared shocked, stunned into disbelief as they stared at Holmes. Holmes leaves the ring and walks up to a man smoking next to a bar. Reaching into the mans jacket pocket, he removes some papers and place one on the bar before folding the rest into his trouser pocket.**

“Back then money was slightly different, so those pieces of paper were essentially bank notes,” Tony explained.

**He nonchalantly pulls a bottle of alcohol from behind the bar and removes the cork with his teeth which is spat onto the floor. Taking a large gulp from the bottle, he continues to ignore the crowd and jogs upstairs where the music is playing again although rumbling sounds can be heard.**

“I think it registered on an emotional level,” Bruce deadpanned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Steve right? Don't worry he'll be set on track as soon as Tony comes to terms with his own emotions which means he'll have his own revelations soon enough ;)  
> Next chapter will be next weekend as I'm really busy this week with both my jobs :(


	6. Lovely Day For A Hanging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blackwood's execution arrives but he has a few words for Holmes before he goes. Some concerns are raised within the team for different reasons and Clint really hates Blackwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearly half an hour through the film!  
> Thank you for all your kudos and kind comments, reading how much your enjoying this story really brings a smile to my face after a hard day at work :)  
> I'm so glad that your liking my Jealous Steve and there will be much more of him to come in the next chapter as we will be meeting Irene, which I know some of you are really looking forward too ;)  
> Hope you enjoy!

**The rumbling sounds are shown to be thunder from a storm as rain pelts it down with lighting at night. The camera hovers over some sort of building, where a carriage is seen leaving from under an arch. The scene cuts to inside the building with men yelling indistinctly as three men dressed in officer outfits march down a long corridor that is mostly concealed in the shadows. Some sort of liquid is chucked in front of the men which causes an officer to shout at the thrower, revealing that it is in fact some sort of jail.**

Natasha wrinkled her nose in disgust. She knew full well what had just been chucked and felt her stomach churn slightly.

**“What the hell’s going on here Charlie?!” An officer shouts to another officer who explains what is occurring. “Lord Blackwood’s put him under some kind of spell sir. It’s like he’s burning from the inside out.” One man is on the floor gasping and grunting with his hands clutching his throat as he writhes on the floor, just meters away from Lord Blackwood’s cell at the end of the corridor.**

Thor tried to think back over the years he had grown up with Loki but seemed to be unable to find what he was looking for. “Perhaps he does indeed have some magic, although I have never seen anything quite like that from Loki who is a master at magic.”

**“You lot, shut up! Charlie, Charlie! Take this man to the infirmary now.” With that order the other officers scramble to grab a limb to carry the afflicted man away. The officer in charge remains as he turns around to face Blackwood, his face pensive as he takes in Blackwood before talking. “What’s this all about then Blackwood?”**

**“There’s someone I want to see,” Blackwood replies, taking a step forward so his face was flush with the bars of his cell.**

“Any bets on who he wants to see,” Clint snorted.

**A man’s back is seen walking down a street that is not that crowded as it appears to be early morning. Opening the door to the bar were Holmes was fighting, Watson enters and makes his way up the stairs whilst the bar stuff tidy up. A glass container is seen, holding flies as Holmes head pokes up, strumming a violin with a distasteful tone.**

Steve couldn't help but grin at the sight of Tony, even though the noises coming from the violin were hurting his ears. “You’re in that zone,” he commented absently as he looked on in wonder at sight of Tony in his own world. It had always amazed him how absorbed Tony could get in his work, allowing Steve the opportunity to draw the man without any complaints. Those pictures were locked safely away in a drawer, to be treasured now since Steve figured he wouldn’t be able to draw Tony like that ever again.

**The sounds of Watson’s footstep can be heard getting louder as Holmes continues to play, his attention focused solely on the container placed upon a chair. The door to the room opens, catching Holmes attention immediately.**

**“Watson?” Holmes calls out in question.**

**“Right. Let’s go.”**

“He’s still annoyed at you,” Bruce observed.

**Ignoring Watson’s request, Holmes begins to walk around the chair. Watson walks over to a table and starts to examine various vials that contain different coloured liquids. Picking up a small vial, he examines it intently.**

**“What started merely as an experiment had brought me to the threshold of monumental discovery. Now if I play a chromatic scale, there’s no measurable response.”**

**“You do know what you’re drinking is meant for eye surgery?” Watson scolds, exasperation mixed with resignation filling his body language as Holmes takes no notice and continues on with his rambling.**

Bruce jumped out of his seat and started pacing in agitation. All eyes were on the doctor as he tried to calm himself down. After several minutes to which no one dared to speak, Bruce let out a deep breath and sat back down. Pointing an accusing finger at Tony, Bruce’s expression dared him to argue. “You and I are going to have a very long chat about what you can and can’t put in your body.”

**“But now and this is remarkable, if I change to atonal cluster, voila, they fly in counterclockwise synchronised concentric circles as though a regimented flock.” Making his way over to the chair with the flies, Watson watches on in fasciation. “Watson this is exceptional. I, using musical theory have created order out of chaos.”**

Thor opened his mouth to question the meaning of the musical phrases when Natasha answered the unspoken question.

“Basically a chromatic scale has twelve pitches which are semi tones apart, they are equally spaced. Atonal is ignoring conventional harmonies and lacks a tonal centre. So what he’s discovered is that following something regimented elicits no response whereas playing something that does not follow a set key or tone causes the order of the flies.”

The men except for Clint gave her a curious stare at her explanation.

“I was a ballet dancer,” she shrugged, “I learnt a fair bit about the music in order to translate it into my dancing.”

**“How did you lure them in?” Watson asked, his tone light with curiosity as Holmes becomes slightly smug at what he has accomplished.**

**“Excellent question. Individually, I’ve been at it for six hours.”**

“Definitely can add madman to his title,” whispered Clint, subtly giving Thor a low high five that went unnoticed by the others.

**“And what happens if I do this?”**

**“What?”**

**In response Watson takes of the cover of the container, tapping the side a few times to release the flies, much to Holmes chagrin.**

**“Right.”**

**“Clean yourself up. You are Blackwood’s last request.”**

**Holmes demeanour changed slightly at Watson’s explanation of why he was there, becoming slightly more serious compared to his earlier scattered state.**

“I had expected that he would ask for me, so in essence I was already prepared for the request.” Tony had thought he was prepared for that meeting but in reality he hadn't been prepared for the way that Blackwood had gotten under his skin.

**It appears to be early morning now with the streets starting to fill up with people starting their day. The camera pans across the street to reveal a bridge in construction across a very large river.**

“Is that Tower Bridge?” asked Steve, trying to imagine that bridge as the one he had crossed back in the war.

“Yep," Tony replied. “Construction began in 1886 and it officially opened in 1894. It really was quite remarkable engineering for the time when you consider the factors and skills used."

**“Look at those towering structures.” Holmes instructs Watson as he peers out of the window at the bridge in question. “It’s the first combination of bascule and suspension bridge ever attempted. Most innovative.” Watson is not looking at the bridge as Holmes looks back, his gaze focused on something else. He appears to still be angry with Holmes. “What an industrious empire.” Holmes remarks, receiving a small Hmm and a sharp glance from Watson.**

**“Oh I have your winnings from last night,” informed Holmes, waving the papers that he had taken from the man’s jacket that previous night. “You weren't there so I made your customary bet.”**

“I thought he didn't bet anymore,” pointed out Bruce, recalling the disastrous dinner party where Watson had said it was far behind him.

“Oh he didn’t,” Tony smirked, “but he wasn't going to say no to the money now was he?”

Bruce huffed in realisation. “You were just trying to get a reaction from him.”

“Got it in one big green,” Tony clicked his fingers.

**Reaching out to take the money, Watson nearly grabs them before they are pulled out of his reach at the last moment.**

**“No you’re right. I’ll keep it with your check book, locked safely away in my drawer.”**

**Watson runs his tongue over his lips in annoyance, still keeping with his silence. Holmes continues to not be affected by this, keeping with his rambling of different topics.**

**“Did you know the opera house is featuring Don Giovanni? I could easily procure a couple of tickets if you had any cultural inclinations this evening.”**

“Says the guy who plays ACDC on high all the time,” Clint snickered.

Tony pointed a finger at him. “ACDC are one of the greatest rock bands ever, so show a little respect.”

**Watson sighs. “You have the grand gift of silence Watson,” taunts Holmes, capturing the man’s attention. “It makes you quite invaluable as a companion.” Holmes had leaned forward a few inches, moving close enough that Watson was able to land a punch right in the middle of his face. Holmes groaned as he covered his nose with a handkerchief.**

Tony looked around the room to see everyone’s reactions. The team seemed to be nodding in agreement with Watson’s action which caused him to pout slightly. Steve noticed and gave him a stern look that was ruined with the twinkle of mirth in his eyes. “You deserved that.”

“Fine,” Tony huffed, no real heat behind the word as he knew that he did.

 **Watson speaks for the first time since entering the carriage, his words referencing the events of the previous night. His tone was decidedly unfriendly as he let Holmes know that his efforts last night had been wasted. “I knew she’d been engaged. She had told me.** ”

“I still stand by my actions,” the genius muttered, receiving looks of disbelief in response.

**“So that’s no to the opera then?” Watson looks away as answer and Holmes seems to ponder something before reaching forward to grab a piece of black fabric next to Watson. Watson grabs his arm before the object could be moved. “That was my waistcoat,” he snaps, trying to get Holmes to relinquish the clothing.**

**“I thought we agreed it’s too small for you.”**

**“I’d like it back.”**

**“We agreed.”**

**“I want it back.” Holmes relinquishes the waistcoat to Watson after a few seconds of them both pulling tightly. Watson immediately tosses the object out of the carriage window, which causes both men to smile minutely, having put last night behind them after their exchange.**

“Idiots,” Natasha muttered fondly, her heart breaking just a little at the reminder that Tony no longer had Watson.

**A pedestrian on the street picks the waistcoat up and begins to wear it. The camera moves up to show the river Thames with various boats of different sizes sailing down it as the in progress London Bridge is shown in all it’s glory.**

**A protesting crowd greets the carriage as it arrives at the jail. Many people are shouting holding up signs as the police try to move them out of the way of the carriage. Once the carriage has drawn to a stop, an officer immediately moves forward to open the door.**

“Good old protesters,” Clint commented in approval at the sight of the people who were shouting horrible things about Blackwood.

**“This way Mr Holmes,” informs the officer, stepping to the side to let the occupants out.**

**“Blackwood certainly seems to have got the crowd into something of a fear frenzy,” comments Watson who exits behind Holmes with a medical bag along with his cane. Holmes appears to be fiddling with a pipe, placing some sort of substance within it.**

“What substance did you put in the pipe?” boomed Thor.

“Just normal tobacco. Could you really imagine me on anything else, I mean I tried one of Bruce’s brownies once. High. For. Hours.”

Bruce started stammering his denials which fell on deaf ears as the team already knew about the brownies.

**“Which I’m certain will disperse once his feet have stopped twitching. Care to come along?”**

**“No, you’re on your own old cock. I’ve no business with him whilst he’s alive.”**

Clint began laughing uncontrollably, arms clutched tight around his waist as he shook with such force. The team decided to let him get it out his system, looking on in amusement since they felt the humour at the name. “Can I-” he began as he started to calm down although tears were still flowing freely down his face from the laughing.

Tony interrupted before Clint could finish the question. “You ever call me that and I will destroy you.” The mechanic’s voice contained a slight trace of amusement but underneath lay a slightly dangerous undercurrent.

With his hands raised, Clint let the topic go. For now.

**“Suit yourself mother hen.” Holmes leaves Watson at the carriage, following the officer inside the jail whilst the protesters are still going strong. The jail is a complete opposite of how it was last seen, deadly silent with only the sounds of footsteps and the occasional rat being heard. It still seems relatively dark as the two make their way to Blackwood’s cell, only some daylight making its way in through barred windows.**

**“It seems you have lots of rooms to let,” Holmes observes as they make their way past a row of empty that cells that hours previously had been occupied.**

“That’s one way to put it,” Steve mused, although he found it slightly creepy how silent the jail was without its occupants.

**“We had to move the prisoners sir,” the guard explain. “Otherwise we were gonna have a riot on our hands. He has a peculiar effect on the inmates.” The guard stops walking. Homes appears to take no notice and continues on a few pace before he hears that the guards voice is now coming some distance behind him. “As though he can get inside their heads.” Turning around to see the frightened gaze of the guard, Holmes takes mercy.**

**“I’m sure I can find my own way if you have other duties to perform.”**

**“Much obliged sir,” the guard thanked in relief, making a hasty retreat back to the entrance. “Thank you sir.”**

“That was nice of you,” Bruce praised at the sight of Tony giving the poor man a break.

“He had served his purpose, it would have done no good if he went the whole way. It was purely for the good of the meeting,” Tony said, waving away the praise as he waited to get back to the film.

Bruce looked at Tony in concern for a slight moment. In that simple sentence Tony had sounded an awful lot like his British counterpart. Bruce saw Natasha give the same look to Tony and made a mental note to keep an eye on the engineer.

**With the guard’s retreat, Holmes stares for a few seconds before making his way further into the darkness, rubbing the back of his head. With each step passing closer, Blackwood’s voice becomes clearer until it can be seen that he is leaning against an engraved wall, reading from a book.**

**“If any man have an ear, let him hear. I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns. Upon his head were ten crowns and upon his heads were the name of blasphemy.” Holmes reaches the bars of Blackwood’s cell and instead of announcing his presence, he takes a moment to take note of the various drawings carved into the cell walls. A crow is once again seen within the movie, this time it is peering into the cell through the barred window.**

“There’s the damn crow again,” frowned Natasha, wondering if this was going to be a recurring theme in the film when someone was about to die.

**“They worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast. They worshipped the beast saying ‘Who is like unto the beast?’” The beast which I saw was like a leopard and his feet were of a bear, his mouth was of a lion and the dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority.”**

“Is he reading something from the Bible?” Steve questioned, trying to recall his Catholic upbringing, but drawing a blank.

Tony nodded. “Revelations.”

**“I love what you've done with the place,” Holmes calls out, causing Blackwood to stop in his reading. There is no jolt of surprise or shocked sound from Blackwood, instead he calmly replies back as if he knew Holmes was standing there the whole time.**

**“So glad you could accept my invitation.”**

**“I just have a small point of concern.” Holmes appears to be giving a reason as to why he accepted Blackwood’s request, for it to provide answers to something.**

**“How can I help?”**

**“I’d already followed the murders with some interest and while my heart went out primarily to the families of the victims, I couldn't help but notice a criminal mastery in the stroke of your brush.”**

“You should not stoke that man’s ego,” scolded Thor.

**“You’re too kind.”**

**“However by comparison your work in the crypt was more akin to a finger painting.” That comment gets a reaction from Blackwood who closes his book and turns on the bed so that his legs are hanging over the side.**

“Oh,” Thor mumbled, ducking his head in embarrassment at having jumped the gun. He now realised that Friend Tony was manipulating the man for his own gain by trying to take him down a peg.

**Both men finally make eye contact with the change in Blackwood’s position. “So now you’re curious as to whether there’s a larger game afoot.”**

**“Either that or, um, shortly my friend will pronounce you dead and I thought I might keep him company.”**

**“Your mistake is to imagine that anything earthly’s led to this moment. Your error of judgement is to assume that I’m holding the brush at all. I’m merely the channel.”**

“Why can’t the villain ever speak clearly? Is it so difficult for them to speak plainly?” Steve huffed in annoyance.

Tony pursed his lips to keep back the smile threatening to break free. “It plays to their ego, makes them feel like the bigger person when they sprout such nonsense.”

**“My only wish is that I could have caught you sooner. You see, five lives might have been spared.”**

**“Mmm. Those lives were a necessity.” Blackwood looks down, away from Holmes, not in shame but more in contemplation.**

**“Hm.”**

**“Sacrifice. Five otherwise meaningless creatures called to serve a greater purpose.”**

Tony seethed. He remembered reading about those girls from information that their families had given him. Those girls had a whole life ahead of them, three were engaged to be married, one had just secured a job as a Governess and the other one was only fourteen. They weren't meaningless creatures that could be used and discarded to serve someones delusion. They were human beings who had deserved better in life.

**Not rising to the bait, Holmes starts to turn onto a new tangent in order to turn the table on the locked up Lord. “I wonder if they’d let Watson and me dissect your brain. After you're hanged of course.”**

“I don’t see why you couldn’t have dissected him whilst he was still alive. Would have given better results I bet.” Clint’s slightly dark comment caused an uncomfortable tension to fill the room as it was uncommon for the archer to get so serious.

**Blackwood doesn’t look amused and the reminder of his soon to be execution to which Holmes continues. “I’d wager there’s some deformity that’d be scientifically significant. Then you too, could serve a greater purpose.” Holmes turns his back to the bars as he put his pipe in his mouth following his remark to the fallen Lord. Out of nowhere Blackwood appears from the shadows of his cell, head to head with Holmes, who is slightly startled at the proximity of the man.**

Everyone apart from Tony let out some reaction at the sudden appearance of the man. Bruce’s eyes flashed green for a second, the air became slightly electrified from Thor, Natasha muttered a few Russian swears under her breath, Clint snarled slightly, having a huge disliking for the man and Steve began clutching his hands so tightly that they became pale from lack of blood flow. His heart beating wildly at the sight of the man being so close to his-. No! To Tony. He inwardly cursed his little slip up, wishing that the emotion he had for Tony would stop him reacting so strangely.

**“Holmes,” Blackwood murmurs his face obscured by the darkness, leaving his mouth with the overlapping front teeth seen clearly. “You must widen your gaze. I’m concerned you underestimate the gravity of coming events. You and I are bound together on a journey that will twist the very fabric of nature. But beneath your mask of logic I sense a fragility. That worries me. Steel your mind Holmes. I need you.”**

“That man is twisted,” snapped Clint, his distaste for the man dripping from his words. “Who does he think he is, insisting that you both have some kind of bond. What is he trying to gain?”

“If you don’t figure it out by the end of the film, then I’ll explain it too you okay?” sighed Tony, feeling slightly fatigued at all the questions already.

**Holmes snaps back to himself following the end of Blackwood’s speech, blinking again as he moves away from the bars. “I say you’ve come a long way down from the House of Lords,” he quips, seemingly trying to get the last word in as he starts to leave.**

**“And I will rise again.”**

**“Bon voyage.”**

“I would not have wished him a good trip Friend Tony,” Thor began as the time jerked in surprise before remembering that the Prince had the power of All Speak. “Although I have bad feelings about that man and urge you to make your get away as soon as possible.”

**“Pay attention,” Blackwood commands, which stops Holmes only a few feet away from the cell. The pipe hanging from his mouth, Holmes stands motionless as Blackwood continues his monologue.**

“No, no, no! You have to get out of there!” Steve urged, a sickening sense of unease passing through him as Blackwood played Tony with his words.

**“Three more will die and there is nothing you can do to save them. You must accept that this is beyond your control or by the time you realise you made all of this possible,” a slight turn of Holmes head shows that the words had an impact. “It’ll be the last sane thought in your head.”**

Bruce was confused to put it lightly. It was obvious that this version of Tony had a different perspective of everything, likely caused by a hyperactive mind that needed much stimulation. What he didn't understand was why it would be the last sane though. Was it that Tony would go mad from not being able to do anything to save those people? Did his mind become over stimulated? Were the three people important too him, causing him to lose himself in grief? There were so many things that he wanted to clarify with Tony but one look at the man in question caused Bruce to keep his lips locked tight. Tony’s breathing had picked up slightly, the man shaking visibly before he stilled as Steve put a hand on his knee to calm the engineer.

**Lighting a match that was then used on his pipe, the eccentric detective took an inhale, casting one last look at the disgraced Lord before making his way out. Blackwood stays at the bars which are clutched in his hands, watching as Holmes walks away from him. Passing under an arch, it can be seen that the stairs and landing of the jail are occupied by Lestrade, officers and a Father.**

**“What did he want?” Lestrade calls out.**

**“Not sure. But I don’t think you’re needed Father. Not for this one.”**

“I’m surprised,” smirked Natasha, her eyes alight as she took in the scene.

“At what?”

“At the fact that you admitted that you didn’t quite understand what he wanted. By what we’ve seen so far I would have assumed that you would have used that moment as an opportunity to preen.” Natasha made her point and watched as Tony rolled his neck slightly in agitation before sighing.

“I didn’t need to pretend that I knew everything since I had nothing to prove. Besides at that point I wasn’t ruling anything out, so I in fact had many options which at that moment caused me to be unsure of what was happening. I wasn’t going to let my ego stand in the way of figuring something out.”

Natasha had the decency to look slightly chastised before turning back to the movie.

**Holmes passes under the stairs, taking a different way out as Blackwood looks on and the crow flies away.**

**“Lord Henry Blackwood,” a white haired man intones, “you are sentenced to death for the practice of black magic, the unholy murder of five innocent young women and the attempted murder of a sixth. Do you have any final words?” Watson and Lestrade watch the execution stoically whilst an older man and an officer standing near Blackwood appear to be quite nervous for reasons unapparent.**

Steve narrowed his eyes at the nervous men. “What do they have to be nervous for?”

“Maybe because they’re about to execute someone?” Clint answered, slightly baffled as to why Steve even needed to ask.

The soldier made no response to the obvious answer since there was something in his gut saying that they were nervous for another reason.

**The room where the execution is taking place is filled with men being the noose as they witness. His face framed by the noose, Blackwood takes his final words, keeping calm to the very end. “Death is only the beginning.”**

“He has a point there,” Natasha remarked, not in the least bit surprised at the looks the men gave her in return. “Come on, how many of us have been dead or presumed dead, only to come back stronger than ever?”

The guys nodded their agreement sheepishly, knowing that the assassin was right.

**A black hood is immediately placed over his head and the noose is secured around his throat, tightened with an audible noise. At the nod of the white haired man, the nervous office pulls the lever that causes the hatch below Blackwood’s feet to release. With no floor beneath him, he falls, jerking a few times on the rope before swaying.**

**“…forever and ever, Amen.” One man bows his head, perhaps in relief whereas Watson shows no happiness at the event, sniffing once before making his way to the body.**

Bruce thought that he understood why Watson wasn't rejoicing at the sight of Blackwood’s end. Even though it was slightly satisfying seeing a murderer get what he deserved, as a doctor it was hard to see someone die whilst doing nothing to help. It essentially went against everything that as a doctor you fought for.

**As said by Holmes earlier in the scene, Blackwood’s feet are seen twitching a few times within high standard shoes before falling still.**

**Watson pulls down the leather clad sleeve of the now dead Lord who is lying on an examination table in order to check for any signs of a pulse. Lestrade and another officer stand on either side, quietly observing the proceedings. Pulling down the left side of Blackwood’s collar, Watson double checks for a pulse as the man lays pale and lifeless on the table.**

**“That is the end of Lord Blackwood,” pronounces Watson after finding no signs of life.**

“Ding dong the witch is dead,” Clint proclaimed, his voice imitating that of a munchkin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where half of the reactions of the team come from sometimes but they make me feel so I hope that they do the same for you!  
> Next chapter will be up at the weekend as I quit one of my jobs so should have plenty more free time to do some writing!  
> Until next time!


	7. Meeting Irene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irene is introduced properly and Steve falls further into misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking so long to update you guys! I had this chapter ready to go ages ago but it somehow got deleted and I found it really hard to rewrite it. I'm not completely happy with it so it may undergo editing at some point but I do hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Also this is obviously going to be a Stony ending as shown in the tags and I have the idea of how they are going to come together but would you guys be interested having just a declaration of love and a kiss or a more smutty type of getting together? I'm happy to do either but would like to know what you guys would prefer to read since either type of ending would work for what I have planned.  
> Let me know what you would prefer!:)

**The movie takes us back to Baker Street as the camera zooms up to the door of 221B, passing by a carriage and people making their way down the street. The shot changes from the front of the house to Holmes sleeping face, his hand brought up to the side of his face in his slumber. Flickers of orange light can be seen breaking up the shadows under his eyes as he sniffs in his sleep.**

“Look at sleeping beauty,” Clint cooed before ducking from a cushion thrown by Tony.

**A female hand attached to an arm in a pink dress is holding a handful of walnuts that are slowly squeezed until there is an audible cracking noise.**

All the men in the room winced at the sight whilst Natasha made a mental note to stock up on walnuts in all common areas for the future. Holmes sniffs again as a female voice begins to speak.

**“London’s so bleak this time of year.” Holmes eyes fly open in surprise. His room is once again shown, this time the room is light and airy with the curtains open. More objects can be seen more clearly around the room such as diagrams of the human skull, a model of half a brain and a tiger head rug which Holmes is still resting on. A brown ratty coat is covering him as a blanket as a tumbler and glass of some brown liquid sits within arms reach. Clutched in his arms is a brown book that is closed. The still unknown woman is sitting behind Holmes although as she’s talking she gets up and walks towards Holmes with a basket.**

**“Not that I’m pining for New Jersey, I much prefer to travel in the winter.” He startles as she moves into his line of sight, dropping his book to the ground as she drops into a crouch in front of him. “Here I brought you these, all the way from Syria.” The woman places her gift next to Holmes, her smiling face revealed to be the woman from the fighting match.**

Steve knew right then he was going to hate this scene whilst Natasha stared at the woman in confusion. The way the woman looked at Tony reminded her of how she acted when she was playing a mark. Although there did seem to be a hint of something genuine in her gaze but Natasha wasn’t sure what it was exactly.

**“I found these exquisite dates in Jordan,” she continues rising from her crouch where Holmes remains frozen. “And your favourite, olives from the Cyclades.” She pops a black olive in her mouth, moving towards a desk and picking up a sizeable file.**

**“Thought we might have a little tea party,” with the woman’s back turned, Holmes flings the coat off and rolls to the side to get up. “And while I was setting the table, I found this. A file with my name on it.”**

“Stalker,” teased Clint, receiving a more serious reply from Tony.

“For a good reason.”

**Various news paper clippings are inside the green file displaying various stories such as an image of a ring and something about the Bulgarian Prime Minister and the Navy. As the woman begins to read out some of the newspaper stories in the file, Holmes quietly but quickly makes his way over to a painting of a man with a moustache. Flipping the painting open, a green safe with gold embellishments is revealed to be hidden behind it. He gives the knob on the safe a few wrenches, making sure that it has not been broken into.**

Natasha smirked at the safe hidden behind the painting. “That’s the first place any thief would search for money.”

“Who says that there’s money in there?” Tony responds.

**“Theft of Velazquez portrait from King of Spain. Missing naval documents lead to resignation of Bulgarian Prime Minister.” Holmes picks up the gift that the woman brought that contains the walnuts and dates and rushes forward to a cluttered table where a photo of the woman rests.**

Steve wondered if he was cursed or if he just honestly had bad luck. Seriously it was bad enough to know that Tony had feelings for someone else that he had yet to get over but for it to be two people was even worse. The woman was so beautiful that Steve had to blink back tears at the thought that he ever stood a chance with Tony when he had been involved with people much better in so many ways than Steve.

**“Scandalous affair ends engagement-” the woman turns around just as Holmes slams the photo down and nonchalantly eats something. “-of Hapsburg Prince to Romanov Princess” she finishes having caught the action.**

Everyone apart from Tony turned to look at Natasha at the mention of a Romanov Princess.

“What?” Natasha snapped, not impressed with their staring. Thor worked up the courage to ask the question on everyone’s minds.

“You are of royalty Friend Natasha?”

“Not anymore,” she mumbled under her breath which only caused more puzzled looks to be sent her way. “The Romanov’s ruled Russia for just over four hundred years until 1917. In 1918 the main members of the Romanov family were murdered and the rest were exiled. I happen to be a descendant of one of the men who was exiled and I do carry the family name but any claim to royalty is long gone.”

Silence followed Natasha’s admission, no one quite sure how to break the tension that had risen during the explanation.

“Damn Nat, I wished you had told me before,” Clint whistled, slightly hurt that his oldest friend hadn’t told him this significant part of her history.

Natasha smiled sadly. “It’s not something that you can casually bring up in a conversation. Besides we’re all allowed to have some secrets, even if they do have to come to light at some point.”

“Nice dig ‘Tasha,” Tony snorted. “Now that we’ve established that Nat’s a long lost Princess, how about we get back to the film and then air out all our dirty laundry.”

“My laundry is not dirty at the moment,” pouted Thor, thinking that he was going to miss out on a fun team exercise.

**Holmes snaps to attention, acting as though he hadn't been doing anything strange as he explained the reason for the file. “I was simply studying your methods should the authorities ask me to hunt you down.”**

Bruce laughed. “Smooth Tony.”

**“Ah, but I don’t see my name in any of these articles.” The woman and Holmes make the way towards each other, stopping at a small table that separates them.**

**“But your signature was clear.” He pulls on the chain the woman is wearing, pulling up a stunning diamond that the woman had been keeping concealed. “Is that the Maharajah’s missing diamond or just another souvenir?”**

**The woman looks at him with a tilt to her head. “Let’s not dwell on the past,” she instructs, moving the diamond back to where it had been hidden whilst Holmes face twitches at her instruction.**

“You have history with each,” Natasha noted, her suspicions confirmed when Tony’s face twisted in anger and pain for a brief moment.

“You could say that,” he said darkly, “and unfortunately it caught up with her.”

**“Shall we?” She asks gesturing towards the table, Holmes follows keeping a suspicious eye on the woman. “Now by the looks of things I’d say you’re between jobs” the woman states, placing the file down.**

**“And you between husbands,” Holmes shot back, no emotion apparent on his face. “How much did you get for the ring?” He points to her left hand, seemingly trying to turn the situation around.**

“What do you mean husbands?” Thor asked, not believing that the fair maiden flitted around from man to man as suggested in the film.

Tony sighed. “She was clever, intelligent and beautiful which she wasn't afraid to use. She could have easily settled down and had a great life but instead she was a criminal. She would marry men and divorce them for riches or to gain information.”

“So why would she come and visit you, a detective, if she was a criminal?” Bruce asked, wiping his glasses while he waited for the film to begin again.

“It was complicated,” was all Tony said, signalling the end of the conversation.

**“Oh he was boring and jealous and he snored,” the woman complained. They both take a seat at a table where a tea set is laid out, Holmes beginning to pour them each a drink. “I’m Irene Adler again.”**

“Ah” Bruce murmured, easily recognising the name and her connection to Tony.

**A strange noise follows her proclamation, a cross between a squeak and a wheeze filling the slightly uncomfortable silence. They both turn their heads to the source which is revealed to be the dog, Gladstone, sitting on the floor watching them.**

“The animal does not look impressed with either of you,” Thor laughed.

**Holmes finishes pouring the drinks and Irene immediately takes her.**

**“Thank you,” she says before taking a sip, her eyes watching Holmes over the rim as he hesitates. He catches her watching and takes a questioning sniff of the cup.**

“So you can take a moment to think about what your drinking before you actually put it in your body” Bruce observed.

Tony shifted in his seat, uncomfortable about the reasons why he usually hesitated when drinking or eating with Irene. “Drinking with Irene was mostly a game of roulette. There were several instances were things would spiral out of control if you weren’t careful.”

“Any of that happen in the film?” Clint asks, grinning widely when Tony began to blush beet red.

“Maybe,” he mumbled.

Steve sighed internally, not looking forward to seeing what happened when things spiralled out of control. He didn’t want to watch any sex scenes of Tony with someone else.

**They both place their cups down as Irene states her reason for being there, Holmes not having drank any of his drink.**

**“I need your help.” Holmes takes a deep breath and sighs. “I need you to find someone.” Irene reaches her right hand into the chest area of her dress, a move that causes Holmes to grab her arm in defence and his other one raises to attack.**

Clint raised an eyebrow, stealing Natasha’s signature move for a moment. “Over react much?”

**An amused expression crosses Irene’s face. “Why are you always so suspicious?”**

**“Shall I list chronologically or alphabetically?” Holmes answering reply is slightly matter of fact, suggesting that he would actually list the reasons if asked to.**

“I would like to know some time in the future Friend Tony, perhaps we could go through it chronologically as I believe that it would make more sense.” Thor sounded so sincere and earnest that Tony didn’t have it in him to say no.

**“Careful not to cut yourself on this lethal envelope,” Irene retorts sarcastically, pulling out a white envelope to show Holmes. She places the envelope on the table as Holmes keeps his gaze downward. “I think you’ll find all the information you need inside.” The two stare at each other for a second before Holmes turns his gaze away.**

**“Who are you working for?” He asks, only receiving a mysterious smile in response. “So I’ll have to find out the hard way.”**

“The hard way it was,” Tony muttered mournfully, missing the look of concern that Steve sent him.

**Reaching behind, Irene pulls out a small beaded bag that she places on a side table, the contents making a clinking noise as it’s placed down.**

**“Keep your money I didn't say I’ll take the case.” Holmes dismisses, not looking at all impressed with her assumption.**

**“Well consider it a wager that you will.” Irene stands and walks over near to where she was previously sitting. Holmes picks up the envelope, he turns it around to reveal a logo on the back. In blue ink, the words ‘The Grand Hotel’ and ‘Piccadilly London” are seen.**

**“Do you remember the Grand? They gave me our old room.”**

“Is that what you meant by history?” Clint asked with a waggling of his eyebrows.

Tony pursed his lips. “That and she’s outsmarted me on a case a few times.”

“How could she have outsmarted you when you have all these special abilities?”

“She found my weak spot.”

Steve’s opinion of the woman dipped down even further.

**Holmes picks up a violin that was next to him as Irene wanders back over. Plucking random notes he keeps his back to Irene who picks up the photo he had earlier slammed down. With a parting touch on his back, she leaves the room, Holmes only turning around curiously as she nears the door.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not incredibly long I know but the next chapter will be and I'll try to get it up pretty soon.  
> Steve's not having a easy time with the movie at the moment and I feel bad for doing it to him but he's going to have to wait to be set straight unfortunately.  
> Until next time ;)


	8. Chasing Irene and Resurrecting Blackwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holmes chases Irene as Blackwood decides to change up the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised the next chapter before Friday!
> 
> Thank you all so much for the response to the last chapter, reading and replying to all your comments has really made my day after a hard shift at work :)
> 
> This chapter is slightly longer in terms of translating the movie and we are now over half an hour into the film!

**The movie continues with Watson entering 221B by the front door.**

**“Hold the door,” Irene calls out just as Watson is about to close it to which Watson graciously hold it open with a smile. “Thanks doctor.” Watson closes the door once Irene passes by, a confused expression on his face as he holds the door handle.**

Thor took in the good doctor’s expression, curious as to why he would be confused. “Why does he look like that?”

“It had been a while since we had seen Irene so he most probably couldn't easily recognise her and I hadn’t told him that I saw her at the fighting match.” The only reason that he hadn't told Watson about Irene that night was because he had first thought that he was imaging her and then when he realised she was real, he hadn't wanted to deal with all of the teasing that would follow.

**Taking a left, Irene starts to weave her way through the busy London street. Watson has taken off his coat as in making his way up the stairs, looking back to the front door with confusion. Now armed with a bouquet of red flowers, Irene makes her way to a black carriage where she is greeted by a gentleman as she enters said carriage.**

**“He’ll do it,” she says immediately once seated.**

**“Well done Miss Adler,” a man praises from the opposite side of the carriage, his face completely cloaked within the shadows. “That’s precisely why I hired you.”**

Tony’s face became clouded with anger at the appearance of Irene’s boss, his lip curled in a snarl as he his fingers twitched with the need to wrap around someone's neck.

“Who’s that?” Steve asked in worry, knowing that Tony only ever got that angry when he or someone he cared about was being personally threatened.

“Someone I wish I never saw again,” Tony bit out.

**“I wager he’ll have our man within the next twenty-four hours,” Irene promises.**

**“He’d better. Reordan is the key to what Blackwood was doing. He’s essential to my plan.”**

“So many questions right now,” Clint moaned, trying to curb his desire to sprout question after question at Tony. Seriously the suspense at not knowing what exactly was going on was starting to take it’s toll on his impulse control.

**A man shouts out loud from outside of the carriage which jolts to a stop. “Get off out of it! What you doing? Can’t you see where you’re going?” Someone calls out as it’s shown that the carriage stopped because of a dirty man getting in the way.**

**“Get off out of it,” the driver orders. The man who caused the carriage to stop ignores the order and moves to the window. “A little rifle range would go a long way sir, rubbing the calluses of these German bands.”**

Bruce watched the dirty man with thinly veiled disgust. “Some drunk not knowing where he’s going I would say.”

Tony barked out a laugh at Bruce’s comment, not explaining why he found the comment about a random stranger funny.

**Within a blink of an eye, Irene’s companion whips his arm out causing a small pistol like gun to slide into his hand. With the gun pointed at his head, the dirty man hastily makes a retreat. “God save the Queen.”**

“Holy Hannah,” Clint murmured, shocked at the level of hostility shown in such a small encounter.

**The gun is once again hidden as the threatened man leaves, the carriage carrying on it’s journey as Irene watches on.**

**“Look at you,” Watson smirks whilst reading a newspaper as the scene changes back to 221B. “Why is the only woman you’ve cared about a world class criminal? Are you a masochist?”**

“I don’t think masochist is in your vocabulary to be honest,” Bruce said with a straight face, carefully observing Tony who had started squirming.

“I don’t think we need to start on my sexual preferences right now,” Tony growled, only catching a brief look of anger on Steve’s face before it disappeared. Huh. Maybe Steve was just as annoyed and uncomfortable at talking about sex in a public setting he thought. That must be it Tony though with only a small amount of certainty since there wasn't any other reason why Steve would be angry at that.

**Holmes is busy cleaning his face with his reflection in a glass making it seem as though he is upside down. “Allow me to explain.”**

**“Allow me. She’s the only adversary who ever outsmarted you. Twice. Made a proper idiot out of you.” Watson can’t contain the humour of his face as he makes his points whilst Holmes places his chin in his hand with a huff.**

There was only one way Natasha could think of that Irene would have been able to use her abilities outsmart Tony and it wasn't pleasant. She would have felt a murderous rage at the woman for playing her friend like that but did she really have a leg to stand on when she herself had done it many times.

**“Right you’ve had your fun.”**

**“What’s she after anyway?” Watson calls out, remaining ignorant of Holmes attempts at changing the direction of the conversation.**

**“It’s time to press on.”**

**“What could she possibly need?”**

**“It doesn’t matter,” Holmes grits out, slapping the white cloth onto the table as he stands up.**

**“An alibi? A beard?” Watson flips down a corner of his newspaper to watch Holmes walk across the room. “A human canoe?” She could sit on your back and paddle you up the Thames.”**

“I’d pay money to see that,” crowed Clint, “and then I could take a turn!”

**Reaching Watson, Holmes bends down to pick up some small pieces of paper, releasing a dig of his own towards Watson. “That’s of no consequence to you really is it Watson? We’ve done our last case together.”**

“That really got to you didn’t it,” Natasha observed, thinking that their friendship was similar to how Clint and Coulson were. Coulson being similar to Watson in essentially taking care and being a rock for Clint. When Clint lost Coulson it had been devastating, so she could only imagine how Tony would react to losing Watson who he seemed at times quite dependent on.

The emotion in Tony’s eyes answered her question without the need for words. Natasha felt overwhelmed with the depth of emotions that Tony was showing, knowing that Tony felt ten times more overwhelmed.

**“I’ve already read it,” Watson calls out over the top of the paper. With a wry twist of his lips, Holmes throws the papers back onto the table, revealing the contents of the envelope Irene left him. A black and white image of a middle aged man, with a large nose and receding hairline is shown along with various folded up pieces of paper with elegant writing.**

**Holmes whips his scarf off as Watson brings his paper down, starting to recite the contents of the envelope. “Missing person. Luke Reordan, four foot ten, red hair, no front teeth. Case solved. You’re obviously not her type. She likes ginger dwarves.”**

Everyone sans Tony burst out laughing, Thor’s booming laugh easily being heard over everyone else’s.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Tony ground out, not happy at having to be teased twice about the whole Irene situation. Wiping the tears coming from his eyes, Steve sent an apologetic smile that instantly made the whole situation better for Tony. Seeing Steve smile was one of the best things that Tony had ever seen and if it meant that it came out due to teasing at his expense then so be it.

**“Midget,” Holmes quips back, a violin now in his hands.**

**“So you agree.”**

**“No, I don’t agree. It’s more than technicality you see.” Holmes has a completely straight face as he focuses on the one aspect of Watson’s comments. “You’re misrepresenting the dimensions of foreshortened peoples.”**

**Watson’s eyes are slightly narrowed as Holmes criticises his wording. “I’ve said too much I can tell, I’ve upset you.”**

Steve could see the similarities between Holmes and Tony there with how both tried to confuse and lead people away from seeing how much a comment or action affected them. He wished that Tony didn’t feel the need to hide from people how much certain things hurt him on an emotional level, imaging times when he could just hold Tony in his arms as the mechanic laid his soul bare. Especially since his imagination was the closest he was ever going to get to the real thing now.

**“No” Holmes exclaims with a hand out to Watson as he towers over him. “I am simply stating that one has-”**

**“What were you doing?” Interrupts Watson, not allowing Holmes to finish his rambling.**

**“Will you allow me to explain?”**

**“I wish you would.”**

“I wish you would too,” Natasha grumbled, her head starting to pound slightly with all the twists and turns of the movie.

**A series of actions that already passed are shown again. Irene’s hand cracking the walnuts. The diamond necklace being pulled up from her dress. The money being placed on the table. Her picture picked back up before she departs the room. As soon as the door clicks close, Holmes jumps out of his seat and rushes towards the window, knocking various objects to the ground in his haste.**

“You should be more careful of your things,” Steve scolded, not at all happy with how flustered and uncoordinated Irene had made Tony.

**He opens the window and peers out onto the bustling street just as Irene, now wearing a black coat and hat, walks down the steps to the pavement. With a grimace, Holmes turns back around and rushes to leave the room, pausing at the table with the picture which he once again slams down, to attach something to his nose.**

“What are you up to?” Steve wondered out loud, his sharp eyes taking in everything without much understanding.

With a teasing grin, Tony just patted the super soldier’s knee, leaving his hand there as he turned back to the film. “All in good time Cap.”

**A door slams as Watson ascends up to the landing, looking back in puzzlement towards the front door. Holmes rushes down to the same landing that Watson has now reached, opening the large window with his back turned to Watson. “Holmes,” Watson begins, “what are you doing?”**

**“Nothing,” the detective replies turning around to reveal a different facial structure. On his face now lies a large false nose, that seems to stick out rather prominently.**

“We could use that image as a before and after plastic surgery advert!” Laughed Clint, who seemed to be the only one who found his joke funny.

Thor turned to Bruce in puzzlement at Clint’s unfunny joke. “What is plastic surgery?”

“Have Clint show you later,” Bruce responded, not looking the least inclined to explain the whole variety of cosmetic surgery.

The smile that Clint was sporting from his joke turned wicked as he thought about all the things that he could show the Thunder God. That could be even more fun than the film he thought, not aware of what was yet to come.

**“Are you wearing a false-"**

**“A false nose, no.” Holmes interjects breathlessly, stealing Watson’s coat from his arm as Watson looks back down the stairs.**

**Watson points down the stairs. “Tell me that that wasn’t-"**

**With Watson’s back turned, Holmes climbs onto the window sill, holding onto the sides for balance. “That wasn’t,” he answers before taking a flying leap out of the window. “Hi-yah!” He yells out landing on a slanted metal roof in a crouch.**

Thor smiled brightly at the noise, finding it quite interesting and inspiring. “That is indeed a most intriguing noise you just made Friend Tony. I shall endeavour to use it in our next battle.”

“Great,” Tony muttered, “now we’re going to have Thor pretending to be Jackie Chan. Better hope the news cameras stay away.”

**“Holmes!” Watson calls out as Holmes stands up, looking slightly impressed with himself. “Where are you going?!” Another leap is taken by Holmes and the camera cuts back to Watson as a loud crash and shout is heard. Watson sighs in exasperation before placing his hat on and moving towards the window.**

Steve cringed at the loud crash as he wondered if the man was going to help Tony out of whatever predicament he’d just found himself in.

**“Watson! Aargh! Watson!” Shouts Holmes from where it can be seen that he’s fallen into some sort of small shed type building that has smoke rising from the break. Ignoring Holmes shouts, Watson simply closes the window before continuing his ascent back up the stairs.**

“He didn't even blink an eye at your antics,” Natasha mused, impressed with how well Watson seemed to deal with said antics.

Tony’s expression turned slightly sheepish. “That stunt there didn’t even crack the top five.”

“What is in your top five then?” Bruce asked as he adjusted his glasses. Ducking his head as his cheeks flushed slightly, Tony mumbled something that the team couldn't quite catch.

**The door to the small building is kicked open, Holmes staggering out wearing Watson’s once clean coat. He is now covered in soot, especially around the face but simply makes his way up some steps that lead him to a door. Opening the door, Holmes takes one look down the street before turning around and running in the opposite direction. As he reaches the end of the street, he looks left and Irene can be seen walking towards him. Whilst tying his scarf around his waist, Holmes moves backwards to hide behind some boxes and a cage, Irene having not spotted him.**

“You're such a stalker,” Clint commented again.

**The couple in front of Irene leave the street and a man in a hat takes a quick look around before pushing himself of the wall. In his hands are some red flowers that he holds out in front of him. “Got some flowers for you sweetheart,” he says, catching Irene’s attention which causes her to turn around. “Cut you a deal cos you’re so pretty.”**

**“Oh. My lucky day,” Irene breathes out, leaning forward to smell the offered flowers as another slightly larger man comes up behind her. He bends down to put his face near Irene’s neck.**

**“Hello gorgeous, you got something for me?”**

“Are you going to go and help her?” Steve asked Tony, turning his body around to catch the amused smirk on the engineers face. He may not like the woman, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her get attacked by anyone.

“Nope,” was all he said, ignoring the looks of disbelief in response.

**A peskett slips out of Irene’s right sleeve into her hand in response to the larger mans question. She proceeds to whack him around the face which causes him to fall backwards and allows her to hit him two more times in quick succession. The larger man falls to the ground as Irene turns around, a small knife slipping out of the end of her weapon which she uses to cut the first mans waist jacket as she presses him against the wall.**

**“Don’t move!” She orders as she pushes her knife against the man’s face, her own face showing no emotion as she holds the man captive. “Now what have we got here,” she wonders, looking down and reaching inside the mans jacket. Pulling out a wallet, she smiles teasingly, scraping her knife across the mans face without cutting. “Thank you.” Irene then once again sniffs the flowers, continuing on her way as Holmes watches the whole scene from his hiding spot.**

Tony looked almost proud of the way Irene had handled herself on screen. “Did you guys seriously think that she couldn't handle herself. She’s a criminal for Thor’s sake!”

“But she is a fair maiden,” Thor said as Bruce, Steve and Clint winced at how the comment sounded. Natasha’s face went oddly blank as her hand reached behind her back, her gaze firmly on Thor.

Luckily before Natasha could inflict any bodily harm on Thor, Bruce stepped in. “I think what Thor meant to say is that it is not the fact that she is a woman. It’s the fact that with the time period and social expectations, her ability to fight and protect herself caught us by surprise.”

“Aye,” agreed Thor, nodding his head vigorously as he had caught how Natasha was eyeing him. Natasha brought her hand back into view, accepting the explanation but keeping an eye on Thor as the movie once again started.

**“That’s the Irene that I know.” Holmes sneakily creeps around the other side of the wall as Irene makes her way across a large courtyard that is filled with what appears to be a circus. Dogs barking, roars, fire burning and people calling can be heard as Holmes follows Irene. He snags a scarf of a passing woman, keeping Irene within his sights whilst she walks through the courtyard past people and burning hoops.**

Steve turned a disapproving glance at Tony at the sight of the theft whilst everyone else looked on either impressed with how easy Tony had taken it or with acceptance as they themselves had stolen things.

**Holmes takes a bread roll from a pile and takes a bite, chewing the mouthful as he places the scarf around his neck. He follows Irene through an open trailer where several women are applying makeup. Placing the remainder of the bread roll on the table, Holmes picks something else up along with a hat.**

**Sensing that she is being followed, Irene turns around to search behind her, not finding Holmes who has hidden behind a strong man. By this point he is starting to look unrecognisable with an eyepatch and hat on. Since she can’t see anyone following her, she turns back around to carry on. Holmes pops out from behind the strong man and continues to follow from a distance. Placing an object in his mouth, he tightens up the stolen scarf and tilts his hat.**

**It is then revealed that he was in fact the one that got in the way of the carriage.**

“I take offence to some drunk Brucie,” Tony teased. “I much prefer functioning alcoholic.”

Bruce tried to hide his embarrassment with a cough. “I’m not going to apologise Tony. I am amazed at how well you came up with a disguise in such a short amount of time though.”

“Yeah man,” Clint added taking the focus off Bruce. “I mean Nat and I are trained to spot that kind of thing and you totally got one over on us.”

Tony stood up and took a deep bow at the praise. All of a sudden, his arms started flailing as he was pulled back down by Steve with an exasperated smile.

**Irene looking slightly shocked once again. Holmes placing his hand within the window. The unknown man in the carriage aiming a gun at him. The scene cuts back to the present with Holmes and Watson as Holmes explanation comes to an end. Watson is sprawled out on his chair whilst Holmes finishes playing the final notes on his violin.**

**“This man intrigues me Watson, he’s got Adler on edge.”**

**“Which is no mean feat,” Watson points out.**

Tony could see that the team didn't quite get how the man made Irene unsettled and why it was such a big thing. With a sigh he began to explain. “If it makes things easier think of Irene as the Victorian version of Natasha just without the super spy fighting style.”

**“She’s intimidated, she’s scared of him.”**

**Watson’s expression becomes confused. “Yet she works for him.”**

**“Right,” Holmes says after a pause from looking at Watson.**

**Checking his nails, Watson offers up some advice. “It’s nothing to do with me but I advise you leave the case alone.”**

**“Well I may not have a choice.” Holmes leans back in his seat as Watson looks unimpressed at Holmes. “After all I may be paying the rent on my own soon thanks to you.”**

Bruce gave a little chuckle at the dig, finding it slightly amusing how Tony kept bringing it up.

**The violin bow still in Holmes hand is directed in Watson’s direction following Holmes slight dig. “Get that out of my face.”**

**“It’s not in your face it’s in my hand.”**

**“Get what’s in your hand out of my face.”**

“You two are like an old married couple,” Clint teased to both Tony and Steve. He knew that it would rile Steve up to hear it but Clint was finding the whole thing too amusing to stop. It was clear to anyone that Tony and Watson were best friends, brothers really and that their relationship was one of friendship and nothing more. Tony laughed in response to Clint’s teasing whilst Steve glared at him. Clint only grinned in return and raised an eyebrow which caused Steve to turn around and ignore him.

**A knock on the door is heard followed by a questioning voice asking for Holmes. “Clarkie,” Holmes responds as the officer from Blackwood’s arrest enters the room.**

**“Sir,” Clark begins breathlessly, standing in front of Holmes and Watson. “Inspector Lestrade asks that you come with me at once.”**

**“What’s he done now, lost his way to Scotland Yard?”**

“That actually did happen once,” Tony informed the team, his eyes alight with humour as he remembered that day. “We spent four hours tracking him through London to find him pinned to a wall in a bar being used for target practice.”

**Holmes gives a little chuckle as Watson gives a huff of amusement. “Watson grab a compass, you means us.”**

**“No, you means you.”**

**Clark interrupted their bantering, capturing Holmes attention with his next statement. “It’s Lord Blackwood sir. He, uh..well…it appears he's come back from the grave sir.”**

Various exclamations arose from the team, ranging from loud expletives from Clint to Steve mumbling that it wasn't possible. Tony was slightly surprised at how much disbelief and shock that the team kept showing at the movie. You wouldn't have thought that this was the same group of people who had fought of an alien invasion led by a Norse God with the reactions. It wasn’t as if what was happening on the screen was anything amazing or special Tony thought bitterly, remembering how things changed so quickly, destroying any happiness he may have found back then.

**The camera moves forwards to show the reactions of the two men. Watson rubs his face as Holmes leans forward with his violin bow, clapping his hands together.**

**“Most engaging.”**

**“Very clever.” Watson removes his hand from his face. “I pronounced the man dead myself.”**

“Oh dear,” breathed Bruce as he tried to get his breathing under control from the earlier surprise, trying to think of how a medical doctor could misdiagnose a death.

**“What are the facts?” Holmes question causes Watson too look over in surprise. “Groundskeeper claims he saw him walking through the graveyard just this morning sir.”**

**Leaning forward to pat Holmes knee, Watson gets up from his seat, moving into the side office of Holme’s room. “I’ll leave this in your capable hands. I have an appointment with Mary.”**

**“It’s not my reputation that’s at stake here.” Turning back, Watson points a finger at Holmes. “Don’t try that.”**

Clint tilted his head in thought. “You do have a point there, asides from trying to reel him into helping you. Something like that would have very negative consequences for his career.”

**“Have the newspapers got wind of it yet?” Holmes asks Clark, focusing back on the situation at hand.**

**“That’s what we’re trying to avoid sir.”**

**“Certainly. What’s the major concern?”**

**“Panic. Sheer bloody panic sir.”**

“That would be just to start with,” granted Natasha, knowing that something like that would cause much more than panic. No one would be safe if that information got leaked.

**“Indeed.”**

**Watson exclaims loudly from the office where he’s sitting against the desk, looking on in disbelief as Holmes questions the officer. “You’re not taking this seriously are you Holmes?”**

**“Yes, as you should.”**

**Watson only scoffs in shock as way of a reply.**

**Slapping his knee, Holmes stand up. “It’s a matter of professional integrity. No girl wants to marry a doctor who can’t tell if a man is dead or not.”**

“Whilst I find myself agreeing with you Friend Tony in taking this resurrection seriously, you did not need to push your friend so far with bringing in his fair lady,” Thor scolded. Although he did find the comment slightly funny but no one needed to know that.

**Watson shakes his head, turning away to look out the window in annoyance.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are starting to get rolling right?
> 
> I don't know when I'll post the next chapter as I'm going to update my other story first and don't want to rush writing this story for the sake of an update since you all deserve the best that I can deliver so I would say an update for this may come in about two weeks.
> 
> See you soon and I hope you liked this chapter :)


	9. Strolling Through A Graveyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The question of Blackwood's state is answered and Steve has a strange kink for Tony in sunglasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said that I was going to try and get this up within two weeks and it's been over a month but unfortunately plans don't always go to plan and things get in the way. I won't go into details but I found enough time to write this chapter out in about two hours, so if it may be a little rough but you all deserve an update.

**The film moves along with the scene changing from 221B to a grave yard where numerous police officers are milling about whilst a clock chimes. A carriage pulls up to where the offices are standing around. First to exit the carriage is Clarkie, who holds the door open for Watson and then Holmes. Watson has his trusty cane with him whilst also dressed up in outdoor clothing, whereas Holmes has chosen to accessorise his outfit with a pair of small, circular sunglasses.**

Steve flushed slightly at the sight of the glasses. For some reason whenever he saw the billionaire wearing sunglasses, it caused slightly inappropriate thoughts to run rampant through his mind. The sight of a kinda rough looking Tony with longer, shaggy hair and those glasses, well that was an image Steve was certainly going to treasure.

**“Who do you think won the match Clarkie?” Watson asks, confusing the officer walking to his right.**

**“Sir?” Clarkie replies as the men make their way forwards, whilst Holmes begins to walk backwards, giving the landscape a once over.**

**“The rugby match,” Watson elaborates, pointing his cane to various marks and scrapes in the dirt. “Your boys have done a magnificent job of obliterating any potential evidence.”**

Steve frowned in confusion. “How can you be sure that they were made by the officers and not someone else?”

“Mainly the direction of the scuffs and the amount of imprints in the area,” answers Tony, remembering feeling impressed that Watson had been the one to point out the fault. “Also there were several shoe prints in the area that corresponded to the officer’s shoes and due to the amount, any evidence that once laid there was erased.”

**“Yes,” Holmes says, not missing the chance to add his own criticism, “but at least they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”**

“And you never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity to criticise someone for something that you could have done better,” Natasha noted, easily recalling several instances where Tony had criticised or pointed out a fault during a mission.

“Not when people’s lives are on the line,” replied Tony seriously. “I’m not going to risk people’s lives because someone made a stupid mistake. If they can’t handle being told how to avoid it in the future so people don’t die, then they can leave and find a job where a mistake doesn't equate to a life.”

**The three men arrive where the large gathering of officers are. In front of them is the sight of what was once presumably a pristine tomb that housed the formerly deceased Blackwood. Instead the men are greeted by various sizes of rubble that litter the sides of the entrance to the tomb. Some of the pieces of stone are thick, with some still carrying a design on them which looks like a snake curled around a pillar.**

“Woah,” Clint murmured quietly, taking in the destroyed remains of the tomb. How on earth had Lord Scum managed that?

**“You took your time Holmes,” floats Lestrade’s voice from inside the tomb.**

**“And on the third day.” Holmes intones in a deep voice, strolling forward to the tomb, meeting Lestrade at the top.**

Bruce snorted at the quote before pursing his lips in thought. “Were you referring to the Inspector or Blackwood?”

“Take your pick,” shrugged Tony.

**Holmes tips his hat slightly in greeting before Lestrade delves right into the situation. “These slabs of sandstone are half a tonne each if they’re a pound and there smashed open from the inside.”**

Steve doubted that even he could break through something that thick with just his body and even if he could then he would most likely come out of the other side with serious damage.

Thor was still slightly confused with Midgard’s weight system but he gathered by the looks on his teammates faces that half a tonne was quite significant.

**Watson stays back from the two men and observes the scene, a dark look on his face as he waits.**

Tony remembered Watson’s attitude on the way to the grave yard. The man had barely uttered a word in the carriage, angry at Tony for manipulating him into coming and angry at the thought that Blackwood was possibly still alive. Many people thought that Tony had been the one to be feared when angry when in actually fact it had been Watson, since he was much harder to anger. Tony had learned that the hard way during their first encounter. Luckily though they worked past that event and became best friends but it still made Tony wary.

**“Lestrade what of the coffin?” Holmes questions, seemingly wanting to hurry the situation along.**

**Lestrade glances quickly at something off camera. “We are in the process of bringing it up now.”**

**“I see.” Holmes pointedly turns his head at Lestrade’s answer, showing that the officers who are supposed to be bringing the coffin up, are in fact still above ground, showing no signs of getting the coffin.**

Bruce couldn't blame the men for not rushing to go into the tomb. Even he would be hesitant to go into a dark tomb that may or may not hold the body of a man who was a serial killer and used magic to accomplish such killings.

**“Hmm, right. At what stage of the process? Contemplative?” Holmes slightly mocks the detective as Watson glances over to the officers.**

**Before anyone can answer Holmes question, he fires ahead with a new one. “Anyhow, where’s our witness?”**

**“He's over there,” nods Lestrade, “and apparently he's got ca...ca... ca…” Lestrade looks over to Clarkie once it becomes apparent that he can’t get the words out.**

“Come on,” Clint urged as though he was talking to a two year old, “you can get the word out.”

**“Catatonic, sir,” fills in Clarkie.**

**“He's not feeling very well,” finishes Lestrade to Holmes who gives a whispered affirmative, before striding away to his officers, whilst Holmes pulls his shades down slightly.**

Natasha watched passively as she observed Tony using an action that he still used to this day. She wondered whether or not back then he had worn the shades to hide his emotions from the outside world like he did today.

Steve on the other hand was wondering how much more torturous the film was going to be. Honestly there was only so much one man could take before certain matters had to be taken care of if his body wasn't going to take note that his mind had declared Tony off limits due to certain revelations. The super-soldier hoped that nothing else in the film was going to cause unwanted reactions that would be difficult to explain.

**Watson is seen raising a hand to Holmes and then turning around to make his way to something behind them.**

**“If you lot don't stop behaving like a bunch of quivering milk maids, you're on double time. Now you get down there, and you bring that coffin up, now!” Lestrade orders as Holmes and Clarkie watch on, the officers finally having no choice but to go into the tomb.**

Thor was not impressed with the way the Inspector was talking to his men. If a leader wanted his men’s respect, then they needed to show compassion when needed. A leader could not rely on fear and bullying to keep his men loyal. “The Inspector could have taken his men’s feelings into consideration, it would do no good to force them to do something with which they are obviously uncomfortable with.”

Natasha smiled at the Thunder God’s innocence at certain things. “That may be Thor but they couldn't afford the luxury of waiting for the men to face their fear on their own. They needed to know what was going on there and then.”

Thor grumbled a few Asgardian curses in response, accepting Natasha’s explanation but obviously not happy with it.

**“Good day, sir!” Watson greets to an older looking man cowering against a wall, receiving a muffled hello back. The man stiffens when Watson reaches for his arm. “It's alright,” he reassures whilst reaching forward to check the man’s pupils, “I'm a doctor.”**

**As they wait for the coffin to be brought up, Holmes sits on a piece of fallen stone with some small pieces in his hand. He sniffs the first piece and drops it unceremoniously on the ground. The second piece receives a few licks and a sniff as Holmes narrows his eyes in puzzlement.**

“Tony!” Steve exclaimed, “are you a five year old or something?”

Tony sniffed in faked indignation. “Don’t be ridiculous Steve, I’d say at least a seven year old although an argument could be made for maybe six.”

Bruce just pinched the bridge of his nose at the sight Tony ingesting yet more substances that should never enter the body. “As soon as this film finishes, I am making a powerpoint presentation about what you can and can't ingest and you will sit through it.”

“Oooh,” Clint mocked with a large smile, “Tony’s gonna get schooled.”

**Finishing his examination of the groundskeeper, Watson pats the still scared looking man on the shoulder before making his way to where Lestrade is standing off to the side. “The man's in shock. He may need a few moments.”**

**“The witness stated that he saw Lord Blackwood rise from the grave,” states Lestrade once Watson is standing by his side.**

**“Well?” Lestrade continues, staring directly at Watson.**

**“Well?” Watson repeats in confusion.**

**Lestrade explains. “You pronounced him dead.”**

**“He had no pulse,” Watson bites out, his tone holding no room for discussion.**

Bruce twitched uneasily at the comment. Luckily no-one in the room caught it since he didn't want to explain what his issue was with Watson’s diagnosis. Hopefully it would be the film would clear up the issue before he was forced to correct Tony’s best friend.

**Lestrade just gives him a knowing look as the two men turn to watch as the offices exit the tomb. Carried between the men is a large black coffin, decorated with a silver emblem that represents the Blackwood crest.**

Thor felt his anger rise at the sight of the sophisticated coffin. Why should such a lowlife get an upscale burial when he had committed such atrocities? If his crimes had taken place on Asgard then he would have been stripped of his title and denied his resting place with his ancestors.

**The coffin is laid on the road and as one officer places the coffin down, he makes a small cross over his body. Lestrade hands Watson a crow bar and the two immediately bend to try and pry the lid of the coffin off as Holmes stands behind them watching. With a few good jabs, the lid is pried off, revealing the contents of the coffin.**

Everyone in the room apart from Tony are on the edge of the seats as though they could lean forward enough to see into the coffin themselves.

**“Hmm,” Holmes huffs.**

**“Good lord,” remarks Watson, gazing down inside the coffin with a frown.**

**The coffin does not contain Lord Blackwood as expected. Instead the coffin is filled with dirt that partially covers the obviously dead form of a man with red hair.**

The Avengers let out a collective gasp as it was confirmed that Blackwood was indeed no longer dead. Natasha noticed that the man in the coffin looked oddly familiar but she couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.

**Lestrade states what everyone had already noticed by now. “That’s not Blackwood.”**

**Holmes scrunches his face up for a moment before forging ahead. “Well, now we have a firm grasp, of the obvious.”**

Tony had honestly wanted in that moment to whack the Inspector on the head a few times to see if it was possible for him to grow some brain cells because seriously, stating the obvious at every opportunity was very trying on his temper. Luckily the Inspector’s predictability at times had come in useful so Tony had often let it go without much more than a comment.

**A few clicks are heard before a kit of equipment falls down Holmes body from his waist. He looks at Watson who is staring back.**

**“Time of death?” Holmes asks, to which Watson removes his hat and crouches down next to the body, placing his own body near the head.**

**Watson pulls out his own set of equipment and selects a ruler to measure the white, squirming creatures covering the unknown man’s face. “Diptera is approximately two thirds of an inch which would put the time of death at between 10-12 hours ago.”**

Half the team looked a bit green at the sight of the bugs crawling on the man’s face and it wasn’t a Hulk shade of green either.

**Lestrade licks the tip of his pen as he prepared to take notes on the finding.**

**“May I borrow your pen?” Holmes asks unexpectedly, Lestrade passing it over willingly. Holmes uncaps the pen and sticks it in the mans mouth to reveal the man’s missing front teeth.**

“I wasn’t going to use my hands to check,” defended Tony, when Steve sent him a disappointed look.

“You had your own set of tools that you could have easily used,” pointed out Steve.

“But then I would have had to clean them and I didn't have time for that.”

**“Adler’s dwarf,” Watson remarks as Holmes looks on slightly bored.**

**“Midget,” Holmes corrects absently, passing the pen back to Lestrade who pulls out a handkerchief before taking the pen.**

Once pointed out to her it became obvious as to how Natasha had recognised the body. She remembered seeing the photograph of the man from Irene’s letter. The question was now, how was Irene’s case related to Blackwood?

**Holmes removes his hat and runs his fingers through his hair in agitation before his gaze lands on a pocket watch poking out of Reordan’s clothes. Holmes’ hat is dropped on the watch covering it before anyone else can notice.**

“Shouldn’t you be pointing that evidence out to the officers?” Thor questioned, confused at Tony’s lack of following the chain of evidence, especially as Thor had strictly been told that on missions he was to report any evidence he found.

Tony shook his head in amusement. “If I did that then I would never have seen it again and the outcome of the case would have changed dramatically. I couldn't really care about the proper chain when it comes to stopping a dangerous man.”

Clint noted the way Tony called Blackwood dangerous. Sure the man had killed five women and he didn't want to belittle that but he had been easily stopped by Holmes and Watson alone, how did that equate to dangerous?

**“I know what I saw,” calls out the groundkeeper, who has come out of his shocked state. “It was Blackwood!” Holmes takes a quick look at Lestrade and sees that the man’s attention is on the groundskeeper. Without being noticed, Holmes lifts the watch. “As clear as I see you. And when the dead walk… the living will fill these coffins.”**

Whilst Steve didn't approve of Tony’s lifting, he couldn't help but recognise the usefulness off it. Perhaps Tony could teach him one day, purely as a training exercise and nothing more.

**“Well…um…” Holmes offers to Lestrade after the groundskeeper’s ominous warning.**

**“Right, put the lid on and clean this up,” orders Lestrade whilst Watson and Holmes make their way away from the scene.**

**“You really believe he was resurrected?” Watson asks as they walk further away from the officers.**

**“The question is not ‘if’ but ‘how’. The games afoot,” replied Holmes cryptically.**

**“Follow your spirit-” continues Watson before he is joined by Holmes, “and upon this charge cry: God for Harry, England and St George.”**

“Shakespeare, Henry V, interesting choice of words,” Bruce noted recognising the words from his time in high school.

**As soon as the two men finish the talking, the crow that that has been seen twice already flies across the screen.**

“If I see that crow one more time, I’m going to shoot something,” warned Natasha, leaving the men in the room to wonder if she was serious or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it :)
> 
> I will really try to get the next chapter up with the next few weeks even if its a small chapter.


	10. Lace Doilies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo take a walk down an alley and Tony's actions prompt another Avenger to force a lecture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of let me just say thank you to everyone for your continued support, seriously without you guys I doubt that I would have carried on with this story so big thanks. 
> 
> Secondly this story hit over 400 kudos, so another big thank you as I didn't think that this was going to be something that people were interested in.
> 
> I'm not completely happy with this chapter as some part of me feels like its kind of a filler but I've been sitting on it for two days and haven't changed it so I decided to just release it.

**“There you are,” Watson says whilst holding out an open package of fish and chips, “why that certain fish and chip store I don’t understand.”**

**“Well there’s a particular beer they use in their batter, a northern stout to be exact.” Holmes picks another chip from the bundle and gives it a sniff as the two men make their way down a bustling alley.**

“Let it be known that the best fish and chips will always be in England,” Tony pointed out, his stomach giving a slight rumble at the thought of battered fish. Maybe once the film was finished he could take a quick trip to London to satisfy his cravings.

**“You know Holmes, I’ve seen things in war I don’t understand. In India I once met a man who predicted his own death, right down to the number and placement of the bullets that killed him. You have to admit Holmes that a supernatural explanation to this case is theoretically possible.”**

**“Oh agreed,” agrees Holmes, the two men stopping in front of a fish stall where ice is being chipped to place on the fish. “But it’s a huge mistake to theorise before one has data. Inevitably one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts. That said I believe Adler’s midget is the key to this.”**

Thor pondered Tony’s words for a moment, quickly seeing the wisdom in those words that would befit a ruler. Truly the ability to remain neutral in a situation and to not be swayed until all the evidence had been laid out was one to be envied.

**Holmes pulls out the watch that he took from Reordan’s body, critically analysing the watch with Watson peering over his shoulder. They continue down the alley as Holmes calls out his findings. “Hmmm, right! Scratches round the key hole where the watch is wound. What does that tell you?”**

**“The man was likely a drunk. Every time he wound the watch, his hand slipped, hence the scratches.”**

“I could have told you that,” Bruce muttered darkly, his brain conjuring the unwanted memories of his drunk father’s lack of coordination when inebriated. Unfortunately though his father didn’t have any issues with coordination when laying a hand on someone else.

**“Yes. Very good, Watson. You have developed considerable deductive powers of your own. Hmmm. Let’s see now. There are several sets of initials scored-”**

**“Pawn brokers marks,” exclaims Watson before Holmes could finish his sentence.**

**“Excellent. Most recent of which are: M.H. M.H, M.H. is for-”**

**As the two men stop they both catch sight of a shop in front of them that has the answers to their initials.**

**"Maddison and Haig,” Watson and Holmes notice at the same time.**

“And there is the real reason for the fish and chip stand,” noted Natasha, becoming more and more impressed with how well Tony was at manipulation. Although it scared her a little that it came naturally to Tony like breathing did to her.

**Watson lets out a breath and turns to look at Holmes who looks away at the same time. “They should be able to give us an address.”**

**Holmes walks away from Watson whilst Watson looks on in exasperated fondness. “What a coincidence.”**

**Following Holmes, Watson points out another fact. “There's one thing you failed to deduce from the watch, Holmes.”**

**“Really? I think not,” defends Holmes as they make their way down an alcoved alley.**

**“The time. I have to get back, Holmes. Taking tea with the in-laws.”**

**“Ugh,” Holmes scoffs in disgust as a lady leaning against a wall calls out to them.**

**“Reckon your future, sir?”**

**“Absolutely not,” declines Holmes decisively on his way past the woman. Watson is a bit politer in his denial. “No thank you, ma’am."**

“You could have been a bit politer to the lady,” scowled Steve, having been raised to always treat a lady with respect no matter her position.

Tony chuckled in response. “That was polite Steve.”

**“You need to hear what I have to tell you.” The woman refuses to let the men pass on their way, instead following them as they continue further down the alley.**

**“We have no need of your lucky heather gypsy women.”**

“See, that was impolite,” Tony pointed out happily, glad that he could prove he did have some form of manners.

“After you’re done with Bruce’s presentation on what you should be putting in your mouth, you and I are having a talk about what you can and can’t say to people.” Steve’s tone was firm and unwavering, leaving no room for argument.

Clint snickered into his palm at the expression gracing Tony’s face, even Natasha found it difficult in containing her amusement.

**The woman decides to pull the ace out of her sleeve. “Even if it's to do with Mary.”**

**Holmes and Watson stop and the lady quickly walks up to Watson’s side and grabs his palm as he looks on his surprise.**

Clint felt his own surprise creep on him at the woman’s comment. What were the chances that the two would stumble upon someone with psychic abilities? Was it possible that there were actual supernatural elements to the whole situation?

**“Oh, oh,” the woman exclaims as she examines Watson’s left palm, “I see two men. Brothers. Not in blood, but in bond.” Watson flicks his gaze to Holmes who in return flicks his own gaze to the woman in shock.**

Natasha stared intently at the shocked expression on Tony’s face. Was it shock that the facts were coming out to begin to twist the theories to support the supernatural?

**“What of Mary?” Watson encourages, trying to get the conversation back to what started it in the first place.**

**“M for Mary, for marriage. Oh, you will be married.”**

The Avengers sans Tony raised their collective eyebrows at the woman’s prediction, clearly engaged with the scene playing before them.

**Watson nods in both confirmation to the woman’s statement and in encouragement. “Go on.”**

**“I see patterned table cloths and china figurines,” here the woman’s expression becomes disgusted as she continues to read Watson’s future, “and ugh lace doilies…"**

**“Hmm doilies,” Holmes mutters in the background, his gaze cast a far.**

**“Lace doilies,” Watson repeats in confusion before he looks at Holmes in understanding, “Holmes. Does your depravity know, no bounds?”**

**“No.”**

“I am confused as to what is wrong with these doilies,” said Thor, his face twisted in confusion since Asgard had no such thing.

Surprisingly Steve was the one who answered the confused Asgardian. “They’re ornamental mats that are usually used for protecting surfaces. They look very intricate and are considered to be quite feminine.”

Everyone turned to look at the super soldier in surprise to which Steve blushed in embarrassment. “My ma tried her hand at making one when I was a kid with some spare fabric, we spent the whole afternoon trying to figure it out before we gave up. It’s one of my favourite memories of her.”

Tony scooted closer to Steve, silently offering the larger man comfort with his presence instead of his words which the soldier accepted graciously.

**The woman continues with her ‘prediction’ even though Watson’s sussed out the situation. “Oh she turns to fat and has a beard,” the woman gestures a beard as her gaze wanders to Holmes for further words.**

**“And what of the warts?” Holmes prompts.**

**“Oh, she's covered in warts.”**

**“Enough, enough,” orders Watson, clearly annoyed at the descriptions.**

**“Are they extensive?” Holmes asks loudly.**

**Watson finally breaks. “Please, enough!”**

**Holmes brings his gaze back to the duo with a smirk on his face. He slowly walks over so that he’s standing right in front of Watson. “It’s the most apt prediction Flora's made in years and precisely the reason you can't find a suitable ring.”**

“Come on man,” Clint groaned, “you planned that to try and prove a point?”

“It wasn’t to prove a point but to open his eyes to the reality that he was going to bring upon himself,” defended Tony quite sullenly.

Bruce shook his head at the evidence of Tony’s clinginess. It was quite endearing to see how far the man would go to keep the people closest to him but also worrying that he would feel the need to go to such lengths.

“Still,” Clint continued as Bruce figured out another piece of the Tony puzzle, “you thought that you could scare him out of commitment with lace doilies and china figurines?”

Tony grimaced at the reminder of what he had told the woman to sprout. “I wanted him to understand that he would be settling for a life of domesticity.”

“How did you even get the woman in on the deceit?” Thor questioned, not recalling Tony interacting with the woman.

“I asked Flora whilst Watson was off getting the food that I asked for, if you looked carefully, you would have seen her walking away just as Watson came back.”

**“Do you have my money?” Watson asks instead of arguing against Holmes’ words.**

**Holmes ignores Watson’s question. “You are terrified of a life without the thrill of a macabre.”**

And you’re terrified of a life without Watson in it, Steve thought dejectedly, wrongly thinking that Tony was trying to force Watson to see that he was committing to the wrong person. It was painfully obvious that Tony was scared to lose what he could have with Watson to Mary and wasn’t it painful to know that Steve had lost the prospect of a relationship with Tony to people who were long dead. He hadn’t even stood a chance.

**“Do you have my cut?”**

**“Admit it, admit it!”**

**“Give me my money!”**

**“Admit it!” Holmes shouts for the last time, the two in each other’s faces as the devolved into a shouting matching.**

“Are you sure that you should be questioning his commitment issues because I think that your’s are slightly more problematic.” Clint had barely finished the sentence before Natasha leaned over and pinched him. Hard.

Clint yelped and jumped back from Natasha’s steel fingers. “What was that for?”

Natasha leaned further towards Clint so that her mouth was directly next to his ear. “Don’t add more fuel to the fire. It’s bad enough that Cap’s already thinking that Tony has something for Watson, you don’t need to accidentally encourage it.”

**“Holmes,” Watson says calmly, looking at something over the detective’s shoulder. Holmes turns around to see a poster in the window of Madison & Haig. ‘Large Selection of Engagement Rings for Every Wallet.’**

“What a coincidence,” drawled Thor, repeating the same words that Watson had earlier said but unlike Watson, he actually meant the words.

**“Oh I see,” concedes Holmes, reaching into his inside coat pocket to pull out and separate Watson’s cut.**

**Watson takes the larger cut as he barges past Holmes. “Thank you.”**

**The two colleagues are now walking down another bustling alley, Holmes speaking to Watson who is admiring the ring that he purchased. “Well you've got your ring, and I've got my address for the ginger midget. Should be just there.” Holmes points to a building up ahead.**

**“I think she’ll really like this,” Watson closes the small box and places it in his pocket, “and I have some change in my pocket.” Watson’s gaze falls upon a small game being played by a group of Chinese men, his eyes briefly turn to the coins in his hand as he contemplates making a bet.**

“Just how bad was his gambling problem?” Bruce asked.

“Remember when I said that he had cost us the rent more than once,” pausing to allow the team to nod in acknowledgment Tony continued, “well more than once was about five times, so that bad.”

**“Shall I look after it for you?” Holmes asks as he notices the direction of Watson’s thoughts.**

**“No, no,” declines Watson, hastily putting the coins back in his pocket.**

**“Don’t give it away here.”**

**“No, I have to go and see Mary,” remembers Watson, Holmes continuing to walk to Reordan’s address as Watson stays back.**

**“Give her my best,” Holmes calls out over his shoulder to Watson, pulling out a handkerchief as he does, “and her family as well.”**

“Lies,” Bruce whispered, smiling slightly at how Tony couldn't even fake the enthusiasm for Watson.

**The eccentric detective reaches a set of black doors that are presumably the entrance to Reordan’s apartment building and opens them both before entering.**

Natasha recalled back to the beginning of the film and how Tony had entered the building only after opening the doors wide open.

Tony noticed her questioning eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. “The one time that I didn't do that, was the one time that I got shot. Luckily Watson noticed the shine of the gun and pushed me to the side so that the bullet only hit my shoulder but it was a close one. That’s why I always open doors and then check before entering a room.”

**Watson turns around and begins to make his way back down the alley, taking only a couple of steps before he pauses. He turns around sharply as the camera pans up to his serious expression.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> I'm thinking that the next update will be in a couple of weeks as I'll update my other story first but I will try to get another chapter up by the end of the month.


	11. Meat or Potatoes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discoveries are made in Reordan's lab and concerns begin to grow about Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I know it's been a while since I've updated but I've just stared uni and had to kind of put everything on hold as I moved to a new place and dealt with all the welcome talks and first couple of weeks. I tried to make this chapter longer as I don't know when I'll next be able to update.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Also I don't have a beta for this story so any mistakes that you found are solely mine as I wanted to get this out on time :)

**Holmes raps on Reordan’s door four times in quick succession with his cane, waiting for a few seconds to confirm that no one will answer. Making sure that he is alone, Holmes reaches towards his waist and unclips his leather-bound utility case, his tool kit falling towards the floor. Selecting a lock picking set, he crouches down so that he’s eye level with the keyhole and quickly begins to break in with the tools he’s selected.**

Clint snorted at the sight of the lock picks. “So old fashioned.”

**After a few seconds of fiddling, the door is suddenly kicked in by a foot right next to Holmes head, the resounding bang echoing in the large space. Holmes startles slightly before smiling at the person who kicked the door in as they make their way in whilst he puts his tools away. “It does make a considerable difference to me, having someone with me on whom I can thoroughly rely.”**

“Like there was any doubt that he was going to help,” commented Natasha, her tone laced with fondness at the sight of the two men. It was comforting to know that there was indeed someone Tony could rely on.

**“Well, you can rely on me for exactly ten minutes,” Watson replies standing in the entrance of Reordan’s apartment. Various metal contraptions hang from the ceiling as the stone walls stand covered in white drawings.**

“Why do I get the feeling that whatever you’re going to find or do will exceed his ten minute limit?” Bruce asked Tony with a raised eyebrow.

Tony smirked back in response. “Because you’re my science bro and you know me so well.”

**“He clearly felt something was coming to get him.” Watson gently pushes the bottom of his cane on a bear trap, barely pulling the cane back before the jaws of the trap closed.**

**“Something did,” Holmes points out, referring to the fact that Reordan was dead as he taps on a metal piece against the wall. Holmes continues to make his way further into the apartment ahead of Watson. “Irene Adler was here, either that or the ginger midget wore the same Parisian perfume.”**

Steve’s eye twitched. Of course Tony would be able to recognise what Irene wore if her reminder at the room they shared was any indication of their relationship.

Unknown to Steve, Tony’s nose turned up as he remembered the overly sweet smell of Irene’s perfume. He had always hated that smell and Irene knew it, yet she continued to use it since it was a perfect way to reel in her targets. It was just another reminder of why things between them hadn’t worked out.

**Holmes takes a deep breath through his hair as he stands in front of the windows of the apartment. “Ah, putrefaction.” Watson glance sharply at Holmes who only smiles back in response before walking into a room that appears to be set up as some kind of laboratory.**

“I personally do not find the smell of putrefaction pleasant and I’m finding it difficult to understand how you do Friend Tony.” Thor’s nose was wrinkled as he witnessed how easy Tony found it to breathe in the presence of such a stench.

“It’s a Midgardian thing Thor,” Tony responded, his eyes promising that if the rest of the Avenger’s disagreed with him, then there would be hell to pay.

The Asgardian frowned at the response, his brows drawn together which gave the appearance that he had a giant furry caterpillar laying there. “You are indeed a strange people.”

“You have no idea,” Clint whispered, low enough to be unheard by any super hearing.

**The top shelf of one wall contains a row of glass cylinders with the counter top below it displaying Reordan’s various experiments. The counter opposite that stands in front of the windows also contains experiments and scientific equipment that Holmes begins to examine.**

**“Ammonium sulphate, among other aromas,” Holmes says aloud as Watson makes his way into the lab, a handkerchief covering his mouth and nose in order to diminish the awful smells. Dead rats can be seen hanging from the shelves with the sound of flies buzzing around the room as the two men continue their examination.**

“That’s just nasty.” Steve looked a little pale at the dead rats which Tony found fascinating considering the guy had gone through a war. All the blood, guts and other nasty things should have given the man an iron stomach. Although in all honesty, the mechanic found everything about Steve fascinating so really he didn’t find it strange in the long run.

**Another few sniffs are taken by Holmes, his cane being used to point out where the smells are originating from. “Phosphorus. Formaldehyde.” A sheet of newspaper is lifted from a small stone circle that contains some kind of metal with a dark stain in the centre and a glass pipette hanging of the side. A flashback to Reordan working at the counter shows him squeezing a few drops of some liquid onto the metal that sparks a reaction with a tiny flame and some fizzing.**

Tony started talking before any of the Avengers could ask since it didn’t take a genius to know what they wanted to know. “So, in conjunction with being able to notice the small details and predict outcomes, I’m also able to use said small details to conclude how they came about.”

“So you use the details to deduce how the details were created? Like how you saw the detail of the stain and were able to figure out the most reasonable way it was made?” Clint clarified, his face twisted in slight confusion at Tony’s explanation that relaxed when Tony beamed at him in response.

“Exactly!”

Bruce looked on at his friend in amazement. It was truly amazing to see the skills that his friend had but Bruce had to wonder how Tony could even operate on a day to day basis when he noticed every single tiny detail. It must be overwhelming and exhausting, yet it never showed. Not once had Tony ever shown any discomfort around the team even though in the movie it was obvious that his skills took a toll. Bruce realised that there was still a lot that Tony was hiding from them and he wasn’t sure if the movie was going to break down those barriers that Tony was keeping up.

**Holmes releases the paper and places his cane underneath his elbow with a calculating expression.**

**“It looks like he was attempting to combine some kind of sorcery and scientific formula,” Watson notes as he peers up at the dirty windows that are filled with a range of scientific equations. On the counter top in amongst the various experiments lies a piece of paper with a pentagram and occult symbols that supports Watson’s deduction.**

**Turning around Holmes takes note of a crudely drawn image carved into the wood of a strange looking creature that appears to have some form of wings.**

For a moment Thor thought that he recognised the strangely drawn creature on the panel but the drawing disappeared before he could get a strong handle on the thought. He should have paid more attention to his studies like Loki did rather than skip them in favour of fighting.

**Another flashback of Reordan wearing dark goggles as he places a few pieces of paper with elegant writing on top of a barrel. The pages are set on fire with the flame of a candle being used as light. “More importantly,” Holmes picks up the charred remains of the attempted burning, bringing the pieces over to Watson, “let's see what he was trying to dispose of.”**

**“Potassium magnesium.”**

**“Sultafitic acid,” Watson responds, easily catching onto Holmes train of thought.**

**“Suck the ion right out of the ink. As long as it's not too burnt.”**

“Clever,” Natasha murmured, recalling past missions were a skill like that would have been useful. She was starting to feel really uncomfortable with how off her previous assessment of Tony had been. Tony Stark not recommended. It was almost comical at how wrong that was.

**Taking some plain paper from the counter, Watson lays it flat as he gathers the aforementioned chemicals needed to reveal what was contained on the blackened pieces. A two-step wooden ladder is noted by Holmes, flashing back to the steps being in its proper place as it’s used by Reordan to reach a small glass container on the top shelf. Holmes walks over to smell at an open container whilst Watson continues to mix together various chemicals. The counter that Holmes stands at still holds a bowl of honeycomb which causes Holmes to stare at curiously before moving away.**

**“Peculiar.”**

Steve let out a soft huff. If anyone else had called a bowl of honeycomb peculiar then they would have gotten a strange look but for some reason when Tony said it, it seemed reasonable. Perhaps even endearing. God, the things the man did to him and he didn’t even have a clue and would never if Steve had anything to say about it.

**“Hydrated rhododendron,” Holmes notices, picking up a metal cylinder with four spikes protruding from the top. Contained within the spikes lays a slightly shrivelled up leaf. As Holmes places the rhododendron back, he sees a small copper tub that hold the remains of several dead frogs floating in an unknown liquid. An eviscerated frog lays spread out next to it as it’s inside are exposed for all to see. The frog is then shown being cut into by Reordan as he cuts into the frog by candlelight, his lower face covered by a piece of cloth. The frogs in the tub are seen to be non-moving, Reordan pulling the cloth down, his grin at the sight revealing his two missing front teeth.**

“I don’t know what is grosser, the cut open frogs or his missing front teeth,” Clint groaned in exaggeration, “seriously would it have killed the man to have gone to a dentist?” Tony just rolled his eyes at Clint’s complaint. Honestly Reordan was one of the better ones as he was only missing two teeth. Tony had seen people whose teeth were rotten and black. He made a mental note to ask JARVIS to send Clint some articles later for the sole reason to educate the agent. Maybe make a slide show with pictures as well whilst he was at it too since some visual aid couldn’t hurt.

**Back in the present, Holmes tears a small piece of cloth and uses it to wipe around the edges of the copper tub whilst Watson pours his chemical concoction onto the plain piece of paper that sits on top of the blackened piece. As Watson pulls back the paper to see what has transferred, Holmes sniffs at the piece of cloth only being distracted at Watson calling his name.**

**“Holmes. Look at the crest.” Watson shows Holmes the results of the transference, a faint but recognisable crest sitting at the top. “Reordan was working with Blackwood.”**

At the revelation, there were no exclamations of surprise as the remaining Avenger’s already had an inkling that there was some kind of connection between the two. Otherwise Reordan wouldn’t have been found in Blackwood’s coffin. What they didn’t know was what they were working together for.

**“Of course he was,” Holmes replies sounding slightly bored, “question is, to what end?” Both men exit Reordan’s lab via a different door that they entered, Holmes whipping a hanging piece of cobweb as he exits the room first. “Whatever he was working on, he clearly succeeded.”**

**“How so?” Watson questions, observing the surroundings of the room before placing his cane in his left hand to once again lean on as they walk.**

Because he’d still be alive Natasha thought to herself bitterly. Memories of the red room flashed in her mind as the voices of her teachers echoed in her head. Once an asset has fulfilled its usefulness, they must be eliminated lest someone else tries to use them.

**“Otherwise, he'd still alive.”**

**“Which is why Miss Adler is so desperate to find him.”**

**“Yes,” Holmes and Watson’s attention are caught by a table where various pieces of machinery and metal work are laid out. “There's one odour I can’t quite put my finger on.”**

**“Hm?” Watson murmurs absently as creaking can be heard quietly in the background.**

**“Is it candy floss?” The door to the apartment opens and a man wearing a white hat walks in, holding something up to his mouth, which he takes a bite out of. “Molasses?” Another man wearing a black hat follows his companion. “Maple syrup?” Watson, over his shoulder sees the two men who are blocking the exit and turns around to face the two men as Holmes continues guessing. “Ah, barley sugar.”**

“Your sense of smell is that heightened and yet you didn’t find the smell of putrefaction overwhelming?” Steve asked, knowing that his own sense of smell wasn’t strong enough to smell the things that Tony could. Although right now it was certainly strong enough to catch wisps on Tony’s aftershave, something he found very intoxicating. Steve had to shove his hands under his legs to stop himself from reaching over and pulling Tony close in order to press his nose against the man’s neck.

Tony gave him an eyebrow quirk at the act but made no mention of it. “I’ve lived in multiple time periods where indoor plumbing and hygiene weren’t even a consideration. Something like putrefaction isn’t going to get to me that easy.”

**“Toffee apple,” corrects Watson, his right hand in his pants pocket as he leans on his cane. Holmes finally turns around to see the two men waiting, the white hat man indeed holding a half-eaten toffee apple and the black hat man holding fuel and a Molotov cocktail.**

**“Let me guess. Judging by your arsonist tool kit,” the black hat man holds up the items in question, “you’re here to burn down the building and extinguish all evidence therein.”**

“Ignorant apes,” growled Tony darkly, receiving confused glances from his teammates. “That was an apartment so there were several other occupants within the building. Also, the buildings were connected so the fire would have spread causing untold damage. And let’s not forget that the lab had an unknown amount of unidentified chemicals that could have reacted in a number of ways to the fire.”

**“Just one minute boys,” says the black hat man, no denial to Holmes’ conclusion. “Oh, Dredger!”**

**Both the arsonists are wearing big grins on their faces as heavy footsteps approach the room, a set of feet can be seen approaching from the corner before the screen goes back to Holmes and Watson. Watson’s expression turns slightly horrified as the footsteps get louder whilst Holmes’ remains impassive.**

“Fe fi fo fum,” Clint whispered, trying to ease the tension that he could feel building in the room.

**A very large man walks out of the shadows, removing his hat as he’s revealed. He easily stands at seven feet tall if not more with his companions barely reaching his shoulders. He sports a buzz cut that allows the mess of scaring on the left side of his face to be prominent.**

**“Il y a un problème?” _(Is there a problem?)_ Dredger asks, his voice deep and booming in the quiet of the room following his entrance. Watson just exhales a long sigh. **

Bruce too exhaled a long sigh. He was going to hazard a guess that whatever was going to happen next, would be testing on his control.

**“Meat,” Holmes asks gesturing towards Dredger before waving his cane whip at the two smaller men, “or potatoes?”**

“Is everything a joke to you?” Steve asked, half seriously and half fondly, this time the words not holding any bite. He tried not to show how humorous he found the names given to the men.

Tony smirked back in response but his eyes held amusement as he knew what Steve was referring to. “Funny things are.”

**“My 10 minutes are up.”**

**Almost as if a bell had rung, the men all start fighting. Dredger’s two companions head directly to Watson who takes of his hat and whips it in the face of the black hat man and elbows his companion in the face. Dredger drops his hat to the floor and proceeds to remove his coat, freeing up his movements for the upcoming fight. Holmes looks on unimpressed.**

Natasha tilted her head in contemplation. There was something different about this fight. There was no planning of the moves ahead as they had previously seen.

**Reaching out with his left hand, Dredger attempts to grab Holmes but is whipped on the hand instead. A brief pause as he looks at the hand in shock before attempting the move again, this time with his right hand. Holmes once again whips the hand away and Dredger gives a huff of amusement at the action.**

“Please don’t antagonise the big French man,” Bruce pleaded.

**Watson meanwhile takes a solid right hook to his face that sends him stumbling as the black hat man who has lost his hat grabs onto Watson’s coat. Still stumbling, Watson shrugs out of the coat and out of the man’s hold, quickly turning around to deliver his own right hook. In quick succession, Holmes whips the left side, the right side and the top of Dredger’s head which this time enrages the much larger man, his eyes burning with rage as he recovers from the hits.**

Tony sent an apologetic look to Bruce in response to the man’s glare. “Would you believe me if I said it wasn’t my intention to antagonise him?”

“Based on what we’ve seen in the film, no.”

Tony muttered a curse under his breath.

**Holmes is once again about to use his cane whip on Dredger’s head when this time Dredger grabs a hold of Holmes’ forearm and rips the offending item right out of Holmes’ hand. In response Holmes delivers a solid punch to Dredger’s face, causing the French man to release a grunt.**

**A flurry of quick arm movements and Dredger manages to get his hands close to Holmes’ neck and chest. Without breaking a sweat, the larger man lifts Holmes’ up, a squeal escaping Holmes before he is thrown clear across a table, his body knocking all the contents onto the floor before he hits a wall with a pained grunt.**

“Ouch,” Clint winced, his worry for Tony outweighing the amusement he felt at the face and sound his teammate had made before being thrown.

Thor felt his anger rise at the sight of his Shield Brother being held up in such a way. He swore to himself there and then that he would do everything in his power to make sure that Tony would never again have to deal with someone placing their hands on him in such a manner. If he failed then there were going to be consequences.

**Watson throws his coat on top of his opponent’s head and holding them there, reaches for a large metal pot on a table that he uses to whack his opponent on the head and back. Holmes has a brief moment to regain himself on the floor before Dredger makes his way over. At the sight of the French man, Holmes scrambles to his feet, grabbing a long piece of wood from the rubble. Once on his feet, Holmes stumbles backwards, leaning heavily on the windowed wall as Dredger stands in front of him.**

A stab of concern lanced through Natasha’s chest at the sight of Tony stumbling before she narrowed her eyes. She was learning that Tony was a master manipulator and she wouldn’t put it past him to try something during a fight.

**“Un moment s'il vous plaît.” _(One moment please.)_ Holmes asks in a perfect french accent, needing to take a moment to regain his equilibrium.**

**“Je ne suis pas pressé.” _(I’m in no hurry.)_ Dredger takes a step forward and Holmes uses the moment to take a swing at Dredger’s throat, his earlier stumble completely forgotten as the wood missing by mere inches as the French man leant back. Without missing a beat, the piece of wood is swung again, this time being blocked by a beefy forearm.**

Natasha smirked, glad that her instinct about Tony was right for the first time ever.

Catching Natasha’s smirk, Tony smiled. He had a feeling he knew what the master assassin was thinking and began preparing himself for the observations she would be making on him as he knew that the fact he had been able to play her irked her a little.

**A third swing is made and this time it makes contact with its target, Dredger’s head. As Dredger stumbles from the force of the hit, he receives another blow to the body, this time to his left calf which causes him to fall to his knee with a cry of pain. With his opponent on the ground, Holmes tries to use it as an opportunity to put Dredger out for the count by delivering a final swing to the head.**

**Instead the wood gets caught in a hollow metal tube standing from floor to ceiling. Holmes looks at his weapon being caught in confusion before a meaty hand wraps itself around his throat.**

Clint growled lowly, his fingers twitching for his bow and arrow. “I just want to put an arrow right between those bushy eyebrows."

**Watson blocks a punch from one of his opponents and a sharp tug on his coat causes the engagement ring he brought to fly out of the pocket. Visibly sweating from the fight, Watson can only watch as the ring case bounces on a table before falling open on top of some papers on the floor.**

“Oh no,” Steve whispered at the sight of the stunning ring lying among the mess. He hoped that Watson would be able to find out so he could propose to Mary.

**Dredger and Holmes are somehow engaged in a game of tug and war with Holmes piece of wood to which Dredger pulls sharply and uses Holmes counter movement to hit him in the face with the wood. The blow forces Holmes to fall onto a nearby table facedown.**

**A cry sounds out, Watson and his opponent bash into a a row of shelves that causes glasses to break as the two friends see each other through the gaps.**

**“You alright?” Watson manages to get out before he is pulled sharply away.**

Tony smiled fondly at question, it was such a Watson thing to do in the middle of a fight. Although watching the scene made Tony feel bad for dragging Watson into the mess, really, he should have been the one asking if Watson was okay. To this day he still didn’t know why Watson had stuck by him for as long as he did. If he hadn’t faked his death, would they have been friends till the end?

**A faint buzzing noise can be heard near Holmes and as Dredger grabs onto Holmes ankles and pulls him off the table, the detective reaches out for the nearest object. This time it turns out to be a long metal pole with different pieces of metal added and a black handle that had been sitting within a metal circle.**

**Twisting around just before he hits Dredger, Holmes attempts to use his new weapon but one hand on his arm and one on his throat stops any attempt. A muffled grunt makes its way out of Holmes’ throat before his airway is closed as Dredger pushes him back down onto the table.**

The team all leaned forward in worry as the tension in the room rises considerably. They had all thought that the fight would have been a clear win for Tony and Watson based on what they had already seen in the movie.

**Gasping for breath, Holmes glances over and sees that Watson is occupied, trying to get the upper hand on his opponent. As the hand around his throat continues to tighten, Holmes begins to pass out, his left arm falling to the table and his right hand with the metal pole falling slowly towards Dredger’s chest.**

“Come on, come on, come on,” Steve chanted, his face going pale as Tony failed to take a breath. It couldn’t be over like that?

**Upon contact, the French man is thrown clear through a wooden wall as sparks fly off at the contact.**

“Woah,” Clint’s eyes were wide with surprise at the display of power from the seemingly innocuous stick. “What was that?"

**Watson and his opponent are briefly distracted at the display and Watson takes the distraction to use his leg to push off against a table, slamming the other man into a table.**

**Holmes shakes his head for a second as he breathes in air that had been denied to him and glances shocked at the holder of the metal pole and the pole itself.**

Thor smiled in relief at seeing Tony awake and seemingly in good shape. He had never seen him look surprised at a piece of technology before. It was a strange sight to see.

**Watson tries to keep a knife away from his face on the opposite side of the room. Groans can be heard from the smashed wall as Holmes charges up his weapon, currents of electricity flowing from the holder to the pole.**

“It didn’t take you long to figure out how to use it did it?” Bruce had already figured out what the object was and wasn’t surprised to see that Tony had a strong grasp of it already.

“Figuring out how to use it no, figuring out what it was took a bit longer,” Tony admitted slightly sheepishly.

The team all appeared shocked at the display of modesty shown.

“This was the 1800’s remember, it was the time of inventions and even though I’m a quick study and an unparalleled genius, there were still things that I had yet to learn and discover. I may be the world’s leading tech genius today but back then I put my talents to other uses and other people made the discoveries.”

**Holmes speeds up the charging as the groans and footsteps get louder before quickly grabbing the weapon and moving into a fighting stance in preparation. The sound of crashing glass, grunts, objects being moved across the floor can be heard through the closed door as Holmes stands slightly puzzled at the noises.**

“I didn’t realise how strong the charge was until I saw the effects that it had,” Tony explained.

**Suddenly Dredger bursts through the doors and Holmes takes a menacing step forward, his weapon at the ready. The larger man looks absolutely wrecked, his head having random pieces of straw strewn about as he stands hunched over, still obviously recovering from the shock.**

**Managing to keep the knife away from his face, Watson delivers a sharp elbow to the man’s face, followed up by a jab to the gut and a left hook to the face.**

“Did he learn how to fight from his time in the service?” Thor asked, his respect for Watson growing as he watched him continue to hold his own.

Tony grinned in response. “Some of it.”

Thor sensed that there was a story there and made a note to ask at a later date over a barrel of Asgardian mead.

**As his opponent rushes forward, Watson quickly grabs his cane from the ground and jabs it into the stomach of his opponent twice in quick succession, before whacking his face.**

**Moving forward slowly, Dredger falls heavily to the side, leaning on the wall for support. “Un moment s'il vous plaît,” the French man asks, repeating Holmes earlier request.**

**Holmes glances away to Watson, who has managed to push his opponent into some barrels. Reaching up with both arms to prepare to bring his cane down strongly, he is stopped by a knife at the throat.**

Steve tensed up at the knife at Watson’s throat. He may not exactly be the man’s biggest fan but that didn’t mean he wanted to see the man go in such a manner. Although judging by the almost bored look on Tony’s face, he figured that he didn’t have much to worry about. Steve frowned slightly at the sight of Tony’s face. The look was similar to how his past self had worn and something about it concerned Steve. It was almost as though Tony was distancing himself by appearing unaffected by matters.

**Looking back at Dredger, Holmes sees that he too has a knife and has brought it out, placing it on one of the metal pipes running across the wall. Quick thinking causes Holmes to use his own weapon by placing it on the metal pipe. Sparks can be seen zipping along, down and along the pipe before reaching the knife and once again throwing the owner across the room.**

“I thank Franklin for that one,” Tony recalled absently, his eyes slightly unfocused as he remembered something the team were not privy to. Natasha shared a concerned glance with the team and wondered how the film was taking a toll on Tony. They had no idea what the man was thinking as he watched this since he was capable of fooling everyone.

**Dredger smashes into his companion holding Watson at knife point and the two crash into a wall, saving Watson’s life. Holmes looks in wonder, walking toward Watson as he blows the smoke of the top of his weapon. Dredger is seen amongst the rubble of his crash, flailing around and being unable to get up.**

**Watson is taking deep heaving breaths as he looks on at Holmes in confusion. “Holmes. What is that?”**

**“Je ne sais pas.” _(I don’t know.)_**

I don’t know either, Steve thought sadly as he sat watching Tony slip away from him with each passing scene of the movie. I don’t know how to stop it.


	12. Run Little Rabbit, Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running, destruction and Watson regretting his choices and someone makes a surprise appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's updating?  
> Firstly, I hope you all had a great Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  
> I know it's been a while and I want to thank everyone for their patience as I settled into university and completed my first semester, I know it's not always fun to wait for new chapters but sometimes RL has to come first :(  
> Also I want to say thank you for over 600 kudos and over 12000 hits on this story, I never thought it would get that much so thank you for all the support!  
> This chapter for some reason was really difficult to write, maybe because there was a lack of dialogue and I may go back and change some parts later but for now I'm reasonably happy with it. Also I apologise if any of the French is wrong in this chapter, I used translate as I do not know the language. That being said I give you my first chapter of 2018...

**Following Holmes admission at not knowing what his weapon is, Dredger picks himself up and makes his way to a first floor exit to escape.**

**_"Viens mon frère," (_** **_Come along my brother)_ Holmes calls out over his shoulder as he follows after Dredger.**

**Dredger grabs hold of the top end of the rope and with a jump, slides down the rope, landing heavily with a yelp onto a canvas covered cart. Wasting no time, he quickly slides of the cart and begins to make his getaway.**

Tony spared a moment to be jealous at the ease of which the very hefty man managed to make that action look as he remembered full well that his own attempt was much less graceful.

**Holmes appears at the doorway on the first floor where Dredger jumped and with a roll of his eyes, proceeds to also jump from the height. However, he fails to grab onto the rope and instead lands face first on the street with a grunt from where he made a brief impact with the cart.**

Clint snorted. “Just proves my point on the fact that you have the worst landings ever.”

“Did you not see my landing during the 2010 Stark Expo?” Tony responded with narrowed eyes.

“And did you forget about the landing you thought you could stick back in Vegas that involved the suit, a rabbit and a Captain America impersonator?”

Tony turned bright red at the reminder of that night and purposely turned back to the screen, ignoring Steve’s inquisitive gaze.

**Raising his head blearily, Holmes watches from his position on the ground as Dredger runs at full speed down the street. Wasting no time, Holmes picks himself up from the floor and starts to give chase, his electrical weapon still firmly in his grip.**

**Back in Reordan’s now destroyed apartment, Watson can be seen trying to sort through the rubble and mess with his cane. Releasing a huff, Watson  seemingly gives up as the camera zooms in on where the ring he was searching for lies buried among papers.**

Natasha sighed in in commiseration for Watson, she knew what it was like to have a partner that turned every situation upside down, darting a quick glance to Clint who waggled his eyebrows at her as he knew what she was thinking.

**A ‘This Way Up’ sign is seen painted in white on a crate that is seen to in fact be upside down as Dredger continues his getaway down a busy street, pushing people out of his way as he runs towards the harbour.**

**Holmes has to jump over the people pushed by Dredger, with confused bystanders watching as the two runs past.**

Steve couldn't help but remember the time when he chased down the HYDRA assassin straight after his transformation. The scene before him and his own chase were similar in some respects that he wondered what other parts of his and Tony’s lives shared similarities.

**Dredger runs to a set of large doors with the words ‘SLIPWAY 5’ painted on and slides them open with a groan. However, the time it takes to open the doors gives Holmes the opportunity to catch up.**

**Dredger attempts to hit Holmes with his elbow as he spins around but Holmes ducks in time and once again places his electrical weapon on the larger man.**

**A yelp can be heard from Dredger as he flies backwards into the building as Holmes rises to his feet with a wince, ignoring the crowd gathered at the commotion.**

**Holmes steels himself and walks into the building where men can be seen working on a partially built ship. Many of them stop and pause at the sight of the much larger man cowering away on the ground as Holmes stalks forward.**

**_“_** **Qui t’a envoy** **é** **?” _(Who sent you?)_ Holmes asks.** 

Bruce snorted. “Kind of a dumb question for a genius.”

 **“Tu le sais tr** **ès bien,** ” **_(You know very well)_** **replies Dredger as he clambers clumsily back to his feet. Holmes quickly manoeuvres himself so that his back is now to the ship as he keeps Dredger in his line of sight.**  

"I think we all know very well,” Clint growled darkly, his hatred for Blackwood surprising the rest of the team apart from Natasha. She shook her head at the other men before they asked what was it about Blackwood that was getting under Clint’s skin. They wisely took her unspoken advice and faced the screen once again.

 **Knowing exactly who Dredger is referring to, Holmes comments on a seemingly obvious problem.** **“** **Étrange que tu doives encore faire le sale boulot d'un mort.** **” _(Strange that you should still be doing a dead man’s dirty work.)_**

**“Il est de retour des morts _,_ ” _(He’s back from the dead)_ answers Dredger, coming to a stop as shocked workers took in the strange scene.**

“I kinda feel how that man looks right now,” grumbled Bruce, rubbing his forehead wearily as he felt the beginnings of a headache start to emerge.

 **“** **Ressuscité** **ou** **non,** **dis-moi** **où** **il** **est** **,”** **_(Resurrected or not, tell me where he is)_** **threatens Holmes, his weapon brandished in front of him as a reminder of what he could do.**

 **Instead of looking scared at the prospect of receiving another jolt of electricity, the French man instead looks unimpressed as he gazes down at Holmes. “** **Il y a beaucoup plus de choses à craindre que toi et ton petit jouet.** **”** **_(There are far greater things to fear than you and your little toy.)_ ** ****

“I do not like the sound of that,” Thor grumbled, “he should still be cowering in fear at how you have conquered and topped him!” 

Tony choked a little at the phrasing of Thor’s statement.

“Yeah, no. How about we don’t phrase it like that and just perhaps say beat him?” 

Thor nodded in confusion as the others except for Steve cracked up. 

“I bet Cap wouldn’t mind if Tony did a bit of conquering and topping to him though,” Clint snarked quietly to Natasha, causing Steve to shift uncomfortably as certain scenarios shot through his mind. 

“Fifty bucks says that it’s the other way round,” Natasha whispered back with a mischievous gleam in her eye. 

“Deal.”

 **Dredger reaches out with his right arm and grasps the offending weapon in a vice like grip, startling Holmes with the move. Tightening his grip on the weapon, smoke starts to rise as a grimace passes over Dredger’s face. With a gasp of pain, Holmes releases the weapon as it gives out and is discarded by the French man who continues to stare menacingly at Holmes.** ****

Tony shook his head sadly at seeing his toy destroyed again. “I was rather quite fond of that.”

 **_“_ ** **Cours petit lapin, cours,” _(Run little rabbit, run)_ suggests Dredger now that he once again has the upper hand.**

**“Avec plaisir.” ( _With pleasure.)_ With that Holmes turns and begins to make a hasty retreat to the back of the slipway, ducking and weaving over logs of wood and heavy chains anchoring the incomplete ship.**

"You're running on the fly now,” Natasha commented, taking in the slightly panicked way Tony was retreating.  “You didn’t expect things to go like that and now you have no plan and a bunch of civilians in the way.”

**Dredger on the other hand makes no real effort at trying to catch Holmes, instead choosing to walk after Holmes and throw any obstacles out of his way.**

**Holmes topples a ladder into the path of Dredger in an attempt to slow him down and as he walks backwards in order to keep an eye on the approaching man, he falls and quickly scrambles back to his feet with a lack of grace.**

**Still retreating, Holmes spots a large sledgehammer almost the same height as himself and attempts to utilise it. With both hands on the sledgehammer, he lifts it up with a groan before having to place it down as it nearly topples him over with its weight.**

The team chuckled at Tony attempting to lift the sledgehammer. Tony crossed his arms and grumbled about how they all would have done the same and it’s not his fault that he doesn’t have super strength.

**A quick glance to the right and Holmes picks up a length of chain and swings it at Dredger. Instead of it having the desired effect of taking the man down, Dredger catches the chain under his elbow and pins it to his left side. His right arm shoots out with a hook that Holmes avoids but fails to dodge the incoming punch from Dredger’s left arm.**

“This is going to get worse before it gets better,” Bruce paused before turning to Tony. “It is going to get better, right?”

Tony ducked his head to avoid looking at Bruce. “You may want to keep taking deep, calming breaths and remember that everything I do is for a good reason.”

Bruce just stared at him wordlessly, some part of him appreciating the advanced warning and some part of him just wanted to shake some sense into his science bro.

**Holmes reels away from the force of the punch and catches himself on a supporting length of rope, barely having enough time to catch his balance before he starts retreating again.**

**Dredger easily picks up the sledgehammer that Holmes struggled with and advances on the stumbling detective.**

**Dredger swings the sledgehammer in a large arc, narrowly missing Holmes’ head and instead crashing and splintering a supporting beam.**

**More swings are taken as more beams are broken and the ship starts to sway dangerously as it continues to lose the support keeping it secure. Workers on the deck can be seen struggling to keep their balance as Dredger continues his attempts.**

Steve worried for the workers, hating it when innocent people got caught in the cross fire of something they knew nothing about.

**Another swing and a barrel is demolished, causing Holmes to fall forward and twist his body into a forward roll.**

**Standing upright once again, Holmes clutches onto a supporting beam and as Dredger adjusts his grip on his hammer, Holmes reaches down next to the ship and picks up an average size hammer. Both men stare at their weapons in comparison, Holmes with a slight frown and Dredger remaining impassive.**

Thor laughed in amusement at Tony’s choice of weapon. “You hammer is indeed tiny Friend Tony, nothing compared to the might of my own.”

“You better not be meaning that as a double euphemism,” Tony muttered, ignoring the chuckles of his team mates around him.

**With a grunt, Holmes throws his hammer at Dredger’s chest, the action doing no harm to the French man except seemingly angering him further.**

**Dredger once again swings the sledgehammer and another support beam is destroyed, this one having a domino effect on the unfinished ship.**

**Multiple support beams break under the weight of the ship on too few beams, the ship starts to roll down the slipway before being caught by the large chain anchoring it. Walkways and crossing are broken and fall away from the ship as workers struggle to keep themselves upright and safe from all the destruction.**

Tony thought back on that moment when Dredger had destroyed that beam. He remembered that several workers had been injured and one man lost a hand from the destruction and could no longer work. All because Tony had thought that he knew what he was doing. He couldn’t help but feel angry at himself for how he acted back then.

Thor and Natasha noted the flash of anger pass over Tony’s face before it was covered up.

**Meanwhile, Dredger picks up a large barrel and throws it at an angle that causes it to roll at Holmes. Holmes fails to move out of the way in time and the barrel catches him in the back of the legs, causing him to fall heavily to the ground.**

Clint tried to find some levity in the situation before them. “It’s like a weird twisted version of Donkey Kong.”

Unsurprisingly, the only one who found that statement funny was Tony.

**A large crowd is gathered at the entrance to the slipway, when suddenly an arm raises above the crowd’s heads and a loud gunshot rings through the building.**

**The crowd parts in surprise at the noise and Watson strides purposefully through the parting, his face showing concern as he tries to catch up to Holmes.**

"Yes!" Thor shouted, pumping his fist into the air at the appearance of Watson. “Now the fight shall be won in your favour.”

**Various pieces of wood fall down on the trio, Holmes continuing to evade Dredger as Watson sets his stance and takes another shot, this time aiming at Dredger. The shot misses Dredger and ricochets of the sledgehammer but stops Dredger from taking another swing.**

**Holmes uses the distraction to kick Dredger in the stomach causing the larger man to hunch over in pain. Holmes then brings Dredger’s head down and knees him in the face.**

Natasha noted the desperation in Tony's actions as he attempted to finally stop the French man. She tried not to think what consequences occurred when a fight turned desperate, she had enough physical and emotional reminders that she didn’t need to add any more to her collection.

**In anger, Dredger throws his sledgehammer at Holmes, narrowly missing the detective who leans back just in time and proceeds to climb onto the slipway to get away.**

**Dredger picks up a length of chain and flings it at Holmes, where it catches around Holmes’ legs and the momentum causes Holmes to hit his head against the hull of the ship.**

**Holmes falls into the railing of the slipway, seemingly unconscious as Dredger makes his approach.**

Bruce started the calming breaths that Tony suggested earlier, his thoughts half focused on keeping the rising anger at the movie at bay.

**Another gunshot is fired by Watson and it hits a piece of metal instead but takes Dredger’s attention of Holmes for the moment.**

**Dredger picks up his fallen sledgehammer and proceeds to hide behind the large mechanism containing the chain keeping the ship anchored.**

**Watson continues his approach, firing another shot to keep Dredger where he is.**

**However, Dredger looking over at Holmes’ still body and the gears in front of him, makes a quick decision and brings the sledgehammer down on a release switch.**

Steve didn’t want to know or watch what was going to happen next, his fingers digging in painfully on his thighs. He briefly wandered if he was going to end up with bruises from the amount of grabbing he had done and will most probably do.

**The gears start turning at an incredible speed and the ship begins to run forward as the chain releases any hold it had.**

“Shit,” Clint whispered, accurately summing up what the rest of the team were thinking in that moment.

**Watson looks up in shock at the movement of the ship and fires yet another shot at Dredger, who has taken the opportunity to cross to the other side in his escape.**

“You need to get up Tony, all you need to do is get up and out the way,” Steve pleaded in desperation, missing the way that Tony looked at him with a soft, adoring expression.

**“Holmes!” Watson calls out desperately as he races forward, only for the ship to run over the railing where he lays unconscious.**

**A very large piece of metal rips itself free from the chain holder as the ship passes over Holmes’ body and crashes into the river.**

**Watson watches as a huge chain tether rips out of the ground and crashes through scattered pieces of wood after the ship.**

“So that’s what it looked like,” Tony absently mused to himself, not noticing how the other occupants of the room were freaking out.

"Screw waiting to see the crow again," Natasha began, “I may just shoot you now.”

**Miraculously, Holmes begins to sit up groggily from where he lies in the railing, still obviously feeling the effects of hitting his head but completely unaware of the new danger he was in.**

"How the hell did you survive a ship running over you?!” Clint demanded, trying to get his heart to slow down from all the commotion on the screen.

“I fell into the railing and since the ship was unfinished, they hadn’t yet but it in the railing to go onto the water. The ship was sitting on top of the railing which is why I was not reduced to a smear on the hull.”

**The chain tether hurtles towards Holmes as Watson rushes forward and with not a second to spare slides his way onto the slipway and pull Holmes down in time for the huge chunk of metal to miss them.**

“You were lucky that Watson was there to save you,” Natasha commented.

Tony only smiled sadly in confirmation, knowing that his reaction back then hadn’t been to thank Watson. He realised now that in many ways he had taken Watson for granted and wished he had shown his appreciation and thanks for the man much more often.

**The tether immediately sinks into the Thames whilst the uncompleted ship slowly sinks bow first as horns, whistles and shouting can be seen as a result of the fight.**

**Watson sits up and turns around in disbelief at the sight of the ship sinking whereas Holmes looks confused at the sight of the ship being missing from its docking.**

Thor didn’t really think that the destruction he just witnessed was that bad in reality. He had seen many fights and battles with world’s and civilisation being destroyed, surely a ship was no big deal in comparison?

Clint turned to Natasha. “Even Budapest wasn’t as bad as that!”

**Holmes turns around with a grunt and proceeds to look at Watson’s point of view.**

**“Watson, what have you done?” Holmes asks as Watson looks on in horror, another piece of construction falling to complete the scene of destruction.**

And with that statement Bruce’s headache exploded at the surge of disbelief and anger at his friend sitting across from him. Before anyone realised, the anger overwhelmed Bruce quicker than seen ever before.

“TIN MAN MAKE PUNY BANNER MAD!”

 


	13. Hulk Lays It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hulk lays it out simply for Tony and Holmes and Watson trade words at they wait out their prison stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody still out there?
> 
> I am really sorry for such a long delay in getting this chapter out! I know I promised April and we are nearly in July but things just popped up and I found it really difficult to drag up any motivation to write this chapter.
> 
> I love writing this story but when you have to watch a scene multiple times to get the structure of the chapter and then think of different reactions without making the story repetitive and then edit the chapter, it can sometimes be a little bit off putting. Also I don't have a beta so I feel as though it takes me twice as long to try and get through certain things such as editing or remembering to add certain parts or even remembering to do the writing!
> 
> That being said, I finally forced myself to finish this chapter and move on with the movie which will hopefully kickstart me back into writing as it's a new scene and chapter.
> 
> Thank you all for still following this story and your comments mean the world to me as it's really special reading them and knowing what parts your enjoying and looking forward to seeing.
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading!

“TIN MAN MAKE PUNY BRUCE MAD!”

“Uh oh,” Tony squeaked as he tried to get up from the couch before he was made a permanent part of it. He silently cursed himself for not thinking that the film would push Bruce to his absolute limits. He had desperately distanced and tried to forget that particular life so much that he had essentially blocked certain memories and emotions attached with that time period. It had seemed like the only logical option back then when he had begun his life after being Sherlock Holmes that he had easily dissociated from the past and now Bruce was paying the price for that dissociation.

Just another person hurt because of his careless mistakes. It was like the cycle never ended.

Steve and Thor tried to get in the way of the Hulk’s outreaching arm but were a few seconds too late in stopping the vibrant green arm grabbing the retreating mechanic. Tony let out a grunt as he felt the hand close around his waist and lift him off the ground as though he weighed hardly anything. The other men in the room moved to try and dislodge Tony from Hulk’s grip but Natasha stopped them before they could interfere.

“Wait a minute,” she said, her sharp eyes watching the scene with curiosity. “I don’t think he actually means any harm to Tony.”

True to Natasha’s observation, instead of the expected smashing, the Hulk carefully manoeuvred the wide-eyed genius onto his lap, keeping the genius within eye sight of the team.

“What’s he doing?” Clint whispered, trying not to draw the attention of the scene in front of them.

“I believe that he intends to simply talk to Friend Tony and that if we observe silently, everything will become clear,” Thor answered.

“TIN MAN DO STUPID THINGS ON THE TV,” Hulk grumbled, poking a finger at Tony’s chest to reiterate the point. “HULK AND PUNY BANNER NO LIKE SEEING TIN MAN GET HURT.”

“I wasn’t doing it on purpose!” Tony defended, trying to wiggle out of Hulk’s lap with no success. “Things just happened and I unfortunately happened to be in the middle of it all!”

Hulk shook his head vigorously in disagreement. “NO. TIN MAN LIKE TO DO STUPID THINGS LIKE FLYING HIMSELF INTO SPACE AND HAVING HULK SAVE HIM.”

“Well that was different, my life compared to eight million lives was really a no brainer and it wasn’t as if anyone needed me anymore,” Tony explained, understanding but choosing to ignore the sad looks that the team sent him in response to that logic.

“TIN MAN IS STUPID. PUNY BRUCE AND HULK NEED TIN MAN. WILL ALWAYS NEED TIN MAN.”

“Why?” Tony asked, not quite following along.

The green giant gave him what Tony considered to be a pitying look. “BECAUSE TIN MAN MAKE PUNY BRUCE AND HULK FEEL SAFE. FEEL LIKE FAMILY.”

Tony felt his chest go all warm and tingly at the Hulk’s admittance whilst his head sorted through shock, confusion and surprise before finally settling on acceptance. Acceptance that he too felt the same way about the Hulk. About Bruce. About Thor. About Natasha. About Clint.

About Steve.

He had sworn to himself that he would never let himself feel this way about another group of people after what happened with Moriarty, but he couldn’t deny that the group of people surrounding him had somehow wiggled their way into his long closed off heart without him realising.

“And there it is,” whispered Natasha, pleased that these revelations were coming to light at last and that Tony was finally realising what they had all known and accepted a while ago.

Tony patted Hulk’s arm gently. “I understand you buddy. I feel the same way and I promise you that I will never leave you or Bruce and that you will always have a place here for as long as you want. No one can break that up.” Hulk smiled as he heard the honesty and love in Tony’s voice, his grip tightening as he brought his other arm around to hug the inventor closer to him. Tony reciprocated the action and clung tightly for a few seconds as the team watched fondly, patiently waiting for the future where they too could declare how Tony had helped them become a family.

“Well now that we have that sorted, how about letting Bruce come back out to play?” Tony asked, slightly uncomfortable with the show of emotion as he tried to extricate himself out of the Hulk’s lap as carefully as possible.

Unfortunately, Hulk seemed disinclined to allow Tony to leave, instead tightening his grip again to keep the genius planted firmly to his chest. “PUNY BRUCE NEEDS TO CALM FIRST. HULK STAY UNTIL HE LESS ANGRY.”

Tony winced at the fact that his past actions had riled up the usually in control physicist so much, that his alter ego was in fact calmer in comparison. Bruce was never going to let him live this down or leave his sights ever.

Steve cleared his throat, breaking the little bubble that Tony and Hulk had seemingly fallen in. “Not that Tony didn’t have the comments coming,” Steve received a dirty look from Tony to which it was ignored, “but do you think you could let him go so that we can continue the movie?”

The giant rage monster vigorously shook his head before Steve even finished his question, deciding to turn his body so that he was facing the TV with Tony still firmly planted in his lap. “HULK KEEP TIN MAN SAFE UNTIL PUNY BRUCE BACK. TIN MAN DO STUPID THINGS WITHOUT HULK.”

“Well he’s got a point there,” grinned Clint, a gleeful gleam in his eyes at Tony’s predicament. He desperately wished that he had his phone on him right now to capture this moment. Natasha huffed in agreement and the rest of the team decided that there was no harm in letting the Hulk hold Tony until Bruce came back. Although Steve did make sure that he was sitting a little bit closer to the two, a move that did not go unnoticed by a certain demi-god.

**Moving on from the fateful events of the harbour, the next scene opens in a prison yard that contains a fair number of prisoners milling about and minding their own business. Watson and Holmes can be seen sitting on one of the few benches in the yard, Watson facing one way and Holmes facing the other whilst also using Watson’s shoulder as a convenient pillow. Holmes jolts awake as his head slips off Watson’s shoulder and he looks around blearily as Watson begins to talk.**

**“I haven’t slept all night,” he begins, flipping aggressively through the pages of a small notebook.**

**Holmes yawns and stretches in response, as Watson continues his tirade.**

“All night?” Steve asked, not realising that a slightly substantial amount of time had passed between the two scenes in regard to the matters at hand.

“Yep,” Tony answered with a shrug. “By the time the police had arrived, and stories were told, it was too late for a bail to be paid so we had to spend the night in the yard. It wasn’t the first time and it most definitely wasn’t the last.”

**“Not a wink. Why I ever believed that I would get to have tea with Mary’s parents is beyond me, having been talked into going with you.”**

**Holmes defends the events of the harbour that led to their current predicament. “We were set upon. It was self-defence.”**

Natasha easily read between the lines of Tony’s defence. Whilst technically true that they had indeed been attacked first and that he hadn’t intentionally caused that, it wasn’t entirely fair to say that Watson hadn’t been slightly manipulated into going. At this rate, the master assassin was going to have to give up her title of Black Widow to Tony, who was deftly creating his own web that was becoming more difficult to notice.

**“I’ve been reviewing my notes on our exploits over the last seven months,” Watson announce, causing Holmes to look faintly surprised at this. “Would you like to know my conclusion?”**

**“Uhh-” Holmes stammers, not getting out an answer before Watson interrupts.**

**“I am psychologically disturbed,” concludes Watson with a slightly manic smirk on his face.**

Clint laughed into his hand. “What did you put the man through for him to come to that conclusion?”

“Nothing worse than what he went through in the war,” Tony replied.

“That would do it then,” Steve said with a wince, as he knew what men went through during times of war.

**“How so?” Holmes questions. “Why else would I continually be led into situations where you deliberately withhold your plans from me? Why else?”**

Tony huffed at the reasoning behind Watson’s conclusion. They both had known why Watson continually followed Tony and it wasn’t because of a mental condition but instead because of the brotherly bond they had.

**“You never complained about my methods before,” replies Holmes as he brings his wrist up to his mouth. He seems slightly offended at what Watson is insinuating, causing him to twist the conversation to a different topic.**

**Shaking his head in disagreement, Watson defends himself. “I’m not complaining.”**

**“You’re not? What do you call this?” Holmes quips back with a frown, causing the argument to change direction in light of the recent events.**

“I would say that you’re becoming childish and avoiding the subject at hand,” Steve noted, trying not to smile at the affronted look on Tony’s face.

“Seven-year-old remember?”

Steve felt as though he couldn’t deny that, so he wisely left it and returned back to the movie, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

**“How- how am I complaining? I never complain. When do I complain about you practicing the violin at three in the morning or your mess, your general lack of hygiene or the fact that you steal my clothes?” Watson begins to vent back in anger at the accusation.**

**“Uh, we have a barter system-”**

**“When do I complain about you setting fire to my rooms?”**

**“Our rooms.”**

**“The rooms! When do I complain that you experiment on my dog?”**

Every member of the team sent a glare at Tony at the reminder of his experiments of Gladstone. “He was never harmed and was my dog too,” Tony sighed in response.

**“Our dog.”**

**“On the- on the dog-”**

**“Gladstone is our dog!” The detective shouts back.**

**The former military man leans forward slightly towards Holmes. “Where I do take issue is your campaign to sabotage my relationship with Mary.”**

“Ah, so he did notice what you were up to,” mused Thor, slightly enjoying the bickering between the two men as it reminded him of the simpler times when he and Loki would argue over the smallest things. He felt a pang of regret at how they both changed and wished that things could have turned out differently. He still had to wonder though what Loki was hoping to accomplish with revealing Friend Tony’s past.

**There’s a brief pause as Holmes searches Watson’s face for a moment before responding with a blank face. “I understand.”**

**“Do you?”**

**“I do.”**

“TIN MAN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND. TIN MAN BEING SILLY,” grumbled Hulk, having no trouble in reading the emotions and meaning behind the actions in the scene.

**“I don’t think you do,” Watson states, his expression showing the slight confusion and distrust at Holmes’ confession.**

**“You’re overtired.” The fact is stated in the same manner Holmes uses when investigating a crime scene or deducing a piece of evidence.**

**“Yes,” agrees Watson, his shoulders drooping slightly as he loses some of the tension that had been building during the argument.**

**“You’re feeling a bit sensitive,” Holmes continues, causing Watson to fire back immediately.**

**“I’m not sensitive.”**

**“What you need is to rest.” Watson huffs in agreement. “My brother Mycroft has a small estate near Chichester, beautiful grounds, there’s a folley, we throw a lamb on the spit-”**

Various exclamations arise from the team at the reveal of a sibling.

Tony waited for the commotion to die down before explaining. “Yes, I had a brother, in some lives I was an only child and in some I was one of many children. In that life it was just me and Mycroft who was seven years older than me.”

**“We?” Watson interrupts Holmes at the use of the word, his face screwed up in exasperation and anger. “Holmes, if I was to go to the country then it would be with my future wife.”**

**“Well certainly if we must have her along.”**

“Really Tony?” Steve groaned, feeling slightly embarrassed for the genius at how oblivious and also obvious he was being.

**With the use of the we again, Watson starts disagreeing, causing the two men to talk over each other. “No, not you! Mary and I! You are not-”**

**Holmes stops Watson before he can finish his sentence. “What? Invited? Why would I not be invited to my own brother’s country home? Watson, now you’re not making any sense.”**

The team shook their heads at Tony’s antics, no comments needing to be made at the slightly desperate attempts being made.

Tony rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I may have gone a bit overboard back then and I’m just going to blame it on the stress and emotions of the day before and leave it at that.”

**“You’re not human!” Watson hisses in frustration, getting worked up at the turn of the conversation. Both men stare at each other with different emotions in their eyes, Holmes upper lip twitches slightly in anger and hurt.**

“See!” exclaimed Clint, pointing dramatically at the screen. “I’m not the only one who jumps to the conclusion that Tony isn’t human when faced with the facts!”

**Before the situation can escalate any further and Holmes can respond to the claim, a man’s voice rings out over the prison yard. “Yo, Watson.”**

**“Yes,” calls out Watson, turning his body slightly to the unlocked gate, where a guard is standing waiting.**

**“Your bail has been posted,” the guard announces as the film shows Mary standing just a few feet away from the bars, dressed in all black with a hood up and a smile on her face as she waits patiently for her fiancé to exit.**

“She looks like a woman who is immensely proud of herself and not at all like I would expect for someone who has to bail out her fiancé who was supposed to meet her parents the day before.”

Steve’s comment jolted a snort from Tony, who instead of explaining his reaction just gestured back to the screen.

**Watson stands quickly and using his cane, hastily makes his way to his fiancé, whilst Holmes also stands and begins to follow.**

**“Mary,” says Watson, his tone a mixture of happiness and resignation as he waits for the second gate to be unlocked. Holmes makes his way to the gate as well and just as he arrives, the gate is shut and relocked to his surprise.**

**“Just Watson,” the guard happily announces through the bars. Holmes cocks his head to the side at Watson who is watching and instead of helping or saying anything, Watson carries and is reunited with Mary.**

Tony had to give the point to Mary that round for only bailing out Watson. It had been a clever and devious move on her part to be the one to bail him out whilst leaving Holmes behind and that move had helped Holmes’ impression of the women, even if he had never told her that.

**A group of three men are waiting behind Holmes, two dressed in black and looking alike, whilst the third is much larger and dressed in more greens and browns. The larger man who is obviously the leader stares greedily at Holmes and begins talking when the detective turns back around. “I hope you get bail by breakfast cause the boys are getting hungry.”**

**Holmes raises his eyebrows and scoffs slightly at the warning before the sound of loud talking and the sight of the prisoners in the yard rallying around something replaces him. The commotion in the yard has the guards opening up the gates and Inspector Lestrade rushing in to the large mass of prisoners. “Back off, back off,” he orders, pushing and pulling people out of the way to get to the centre of the commotion.**

Thor noted that the way the Inspector had entered the fray, would have most likely caused him harm since he was vastly outnumbered and had not drawn his weapon. One of the things that Thor disliked was incompetence and so far, the Inspector had not been making a good impression on the Prince. Hopefully the rest of the film would help to change his perception.

**Instead of the fight that was expected to be seen from the last interaction Holmes had with, the Inspector is met with Holmes and the large man sitting on the bench in the middle, with Holmes having captured everyone’s attention. “To which the barman says, may I push in your stool?” Holmes says, seemingly finishing up a joke to the laughs of the rest of the prisoners, just as the Inspector reaches the centre.**

Hulk shook Tony gently, causing the genius to turn his head slightly to make eye contact. “WHAT WAS THE JOKE?”

Tony blushed slightly, glancing quickly at Steve before quickly averting his gaze back to the screen. “I can’t remember it all that well to be honest.”

Steve frowned at Tony’s response. He was pretty sure that the mechanic was lying at it had been made apparent that he had almost perfect recall, so why would he feel the need to look at Steve and lie?

Before he could comment on the lie, Clint let out a cackle and pointed a finger at Tony in amusement. “You are one sly dog, you seriously made a joke like that in that time period and in a prison no less?!”

“You had best shut your mouth now Barton before I rig your arrows to explode and set fire to your ass,” Tony threatened darkly.

Clint just leaned back in his seat and mimed zipping his lips up, amusement still dancing in his eyes.

**“Alright, you,” Lestrade points at Holmes, his face not at all impressed with the situation, “you’re out.”**

**Clearing his throat, Holmes stands up along with the large man that had previously threatened him. “Until next time Big Joe.”**

**“Always a pleasure Mr Holmes,” Big Joe replies, shaking Holmes hand in a surprising turn of events.**

**“Thank heaven you’re here Lestrade, I’d almost run out of jokes,” Holmes thanks as the two make their way out of the yard.**

**“You know in another life, you’d of made an excellent criminal,” comments Lestrade.**

“In many lives I did,” Tony commented absently.

Natasha thought back on what history she could recall of the top of her head. “Any criminals that we would know of?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” grinned Tony, challenge lacing his tone that Natasha had every intention of winning.

**“And you sir an excellent police man, Tomsky, thank you,” replies back with no hesitation and Lestrade shows no sign of the comment hitting home in anyway.**

**As soon as the two men are past the gates, Lestrade turns towards Holmes and hands him today’s newspaper. “Now please tell me you have answers.”**

**“All in good time Lestrade,” Holmes replies as he takes the paper and opens it to reveal the headline, ‘LONDON IN TERROR.’**

Tony thought back to that headline. London had indeed been in terror at the revelation of what had happened at Blackwood’s tomb and Tony had felt as though he was the reason to blame for the fear and terror spreading like wildfire across the city. If he had thought ahead and ensured that all the loose ends were tied up, then people would have continued to feel safe.

**“All in good time? What is this some parlour game where we have to guess what you’re thinking?”**

**Holmes closes the paper and looks on as Lestrade continues venting his frustrations at the situation. “I’ve got a public in frenzy out there. Now if you don’t fill me in, I’ll have you in there playing Victoria and Albert quicker than a bookie’s runner.”**

**Lestrade’s order and threat causes Holmes to look at him with disdain and disbelief.**

Natasha scrunched her nose up in disgust at the way the Inspector phrased that threat.

**“Now clean up and make yourself presentable.”**

**“For whom?” Holmes asks in surprise, as he takes the handkerchief provided by Lestrade.**

**Lestrade nods at a carriage waiting of to the side and starts walking towards it with Holmes following. “Friends in high places. They’re the ones who bailed you out.”**

“You had friends back then? As in plural?” Clint asks, his tone laced with scepticism. He loved Tony and would most definitely call him one of his closest friends, but watching him on screen, he found it difficult that he endeared himself to many back then.

“Of course, I did! Although back then it was more a case of keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

Hulk didn’t like the sound of that type of relationship. “DOESN’T SOUND NICE. MORE LIKELY TO GET HURT THAT WAY.”

Tony nodded sadly in agreement. “Too true big green, too true.”

**The two arrive at the carriage and the door is opened for them. Before getting into the carriage though, Holmes takes a moment to use the handkerchief to blow his nose as he hands the paper back to the Inspector.**

**The detective wipes his nose a few times and holds the used handkerchief back out, to which Lestrade ignores and walks away without a backwards glance.**

“Gross Tony,” said Steve, receiving an eye roll in response.

“I was just returning his property!”

**Holmes simply puts the handkerchief into his pocket and climbs into the carriage to which there is an unknown man already waiting inside.**

**“I’m terribly sorry to inconvenience you sir, but I’m going to have to put this on you,” the man follows his apology by quickly throwing a black bag over a bored looking Holmes’ head.**

Instead of the usual worry that would accompany an action like that, the team felt a sense of humour at the sight of the bag going over Tony’s head, as they saw that the man hadn’t looked worried when it happened. For some reason that they couldn’t explain, they knew that things weren’t going to play the way out the way they were supposed to.


End file.
